Due to its coastal location, Ise is well-known for its fresh seafood; local specialties include oysters, awabi abalone, shark, and Ise ebi (spiny lobster). If you’re looking for carbs and protein, you can opt for hearty meals of Ise udon or the beef from neighboring city, Matsuzaka. If you think Kobe beef is good, you’ll definitely want to try Matsuzaka beef – only 2,500 cows that meet specific (high) standards are slaughtered annually (read a New York Times article about these high maintenance cows here). Those with a sweet tooth may prefer to enjoy Japanese desserts, especially those involving variations of mochi and red bean paste.
From the wee hours of the morning, the open-air parking lot adjacent to Sun Arena were bustling with food vendors setting up their booth. The lower parking lot sold reasonably priced food and drinks, while the upper parking lot hosted sponsor booths that exchanged food, drinks, or sports-related items for a sheet of coupons included with finisher entitlements.
Food options ranged from steamed oysters and grilled awabi, to tekone zushi (sushi rice with marinated slices of tuna) and pipin’ hot bowls of Ise udon. Famished runner or not, it was absolutely enthralling taking a peek at all of the dishes advertised, you could easily spend a half day trying local specialties!
Runners less interested in a meal could opt to “shop” for a broad variety of sponsor samples, which included but were not limited to protein shakes, a hand of bananas, and chicken noodles. The grounds did get congested with time so it may not be for everyone, but we certainly appreciate a solid post-race festival and in this aspect, the Ise Marathon truly delivers.