Over the past decade, the world has seen a boom in health conscious lifestyles. Organic foods, various diet regimes, gym workouts and health spas have all become part of our daily lives in an increasingly health-conscious world.

Japan is no exception when it comes to this trend. And one way that healthy living has manifested itself among the Japanese is in the high number of people, especially working women, who have taken up the sport of running and in particular long distance running including marathons.

The most visible sign of the marathon craze among Japanese women is to be seen in the popular success of the nation's champion athletes Takahashi Naoko (women's marathon gold medalist at the 2004 Sydney Olympics) and Mizuki Noguchi (women's marathon gold medalist at the 2008 Athens Olympics). Their careers have been the focus of intense media coverage over recent years.

But running has made something of a crossover from being an elite sport to one with mass appeal. As an example, "FRaU," a monthly magazine targeting female readers, has been running a series of special features since 2005, titled "Women Who Run are so Beautiful."

In Japan, the main women's competition is the Tokyo International Marathon, an annual event typically held in February, which attracts 30,000 runners and some 100,000 spectators to a course running through the center of Tokyo.

Despite a cap of 30,000 entries, there were in actuality over 156,000 applicants for the 2008 Tokyo Marathon. Compared to previous year, this was a 64% increase, as 2007 saw only 95,044 applicants. According to the Tokyo Marathon official site, female runners accounted for 25% of participants, many big name celebrities and actresses seen running among them.

While traditionally marathons, and the sport of running in general, has been seen as being "dull," "lonely," and "stoic", there has recently been shift towards running being regarded as being a fashionable hobby. Of course Japanese women have long had a strong love of both fashion and cuteness, and so in response, sports apparel companies have been specifically targeting this segment to benefit from this shift in image.

According to Research Express published by Yano Research, in 2004, sales of sports apparel associated with running and track and field were about 420 million yen. However by 2007, this figure had leapt to a projected 672 million yen, or a 150% increase during 4 years. New cool and trendy styles mean that manufacturers are offering not only the traditional T-shirts and shorts, but also running skirts and running dresses in a variety of colors such as pastel pinks and yellows.

A number of new services are also being targeted at runners to address their specific needs. For example, cell phones can now be used to track the distance covered and calories burnt. There are also options that can show a map of the course a runner is taking through an embedded GPS tracking system, allow the runners to listen to music during a workout, as well as receive advice from personal trainers.

Another service driven by the recent boom in running is the emergence of sites built along major courses that support the specific needs of runners. These buildings have sprouted up all over the Tokyo metropolitan area. For example they allow a runner who may want to take a jog after work to store items, change clothes and take showers.

Another need satisfied by these establishments is that they provide a meeting place for members of the running community to exchange ideas or to meet new friends within a sport that is typically conducted alone.

Expect the number of running enthusiasts to continue to grow with more and more Japanese enjoying a hobby that can both train their mind and help to create a beautiful and healthy body.

The next installment of this unfolding story will surely be the woman's marathon at this summer's Beijing Olympics. There the Japanese ladies' team will be looking to complete a hat trick of gold medals following on from their successes in Sydney and Athens... no doubt being pushed on by a nation of running fanatics back home!