If you signed up to run the Tokyo Marathon this year, you would have found yourself running alongside a global superstar.
But for more than 35,000 runners who ran the race in Japan’s capital, most of them probably didn’t even notice who it was.
Turns out they were joined by none other than three-time Grammy winner Harry Styles who just proved that his talents extend far beyond the stage and the screen.
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Styles, who has kept a relatively low profile since wrapping his Love on Tour tour in July 2023, casually took to the streets of Tokyo in his running gear on Sunday 1 March for the 42 kilometre race.
Not only did he surprise fans by his appearance, but he stunned many with his impressive time.
He ended up clocking the mammoth distance in under three-and-a-half hours, beating out more than 20,000 runners in the annual race.
And he appeared to do it with ease.
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Videos shared by fans to social media capture the former One Direction star, 31, running the race in all black gear, a sweat band and pair of bright yellow racing shoes.
In one clip, the singer was spotted smiling and sharing a peace sign and a thumbs up with the crowd as he ran past.
After running in, well, one direction for 42 kilometres straight Styles managed to log an impressive time. One that many runners train for years to beat.
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He crossed the finish line with a net finishing time of 3:24:07 (and a gross time of 3:37:19) and an average pace of 4 minutes and 51 seconds per kilometre, according to preliminary records from the Tokyo Marathon’s official website.
His time was impressive but the winner, Tadese Takele, managed to log a net time of 2:03:23.
All in all, Styles came out in 6,010th place out of 26,706 runners in the men’s race. There was a total of 36,751 runners in the race across all the race categories.
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It’s been almost two years since Styles wrapped his Love on Tour world tour and almost three years since he last released a studio album with Harry’s House in 2022.
It appears his time on stage has primed the global superstar’s cardio fitness to be marathon ready.
And while he appears to have been logging plenty of hours on the run, fans hope he is pouring the same energy into his music.
Fans online are speculating that his fourth album is on it’s way and are eagerly awaiting an announcement.
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