ASICS-boosted veteran runner Salaño tests mettle in Tokyo Marathon

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March 1, 2025 | 12:46pm

TOKYO, Japan — For most athletes, having a shoe brand supporting them can carry weight.

It did for national runner Richard Salaño after ASICS, a world-renowned sports brand that is known for its innovative running shoes and athletic performance, tapped him as one of its ambassadors two years ago and up to present.

“It’s really a big thing for us athletes for big private companies like Asics as our supporter,” said Salaño, a 33-year-old Southeast Asian Games veteran seeing action in Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon at the Shinjuku Government Building here.

Salaño was just one of the athletes ASICS have been supporting with some of the others being Arlan Arbois, a 2023 Phnom Penh SEA Games marathon silver medalist who is also running in the 42.195-kilometer race that is on its 18th year now, tennis’ Marian Capadocia, Ruben Gonzales and PJ Tierro and triathlon’s Raven Alcoseba and Kira Ellis.

ASICS was a lifesaver for Salaño, who had a left plantar fasciitis injury in Cambodia two years ago and was healthy since the former came into the picture.

Apart from the other training gear, Salaño said he would wear one of the latest shoes in ASICS’ Kumadori Collection Limited Series — the neon green Meta Speed Edge Paris model.

“It’s its latest and top of the line brand that is now out in the market and I’m blessed to be given a chance to wear it,” he said.

Apart from Meta Speed Edge, ASICS has also introduced in the Tokyo Marathon the ASICS Novablast 5, which will soon be released to the Philippine market.The Army Corporal from Bulacan is targeting to breach his personal best of two hours and 25 minutes that will gauge how he would fair in this year’s SEA Games edition in Thailand in December.

“I hope to surpass my personal best,” said Salaño during yesterday’s ASICS’ 4km Shakeout Run at the Yoyogi Park where greeted by no less than ASICS CEO Tasuhito Hirota.

Salano and Arbois, along with ASICS influencer, sports media celebrity Migs Bustos, will be running against a field of 38,000 runners in this event that serves as a trial race for the World Athletics Championships here in Tokyo this September.