てくてく ( ‘teku teku’) Adverb; Onomatopoeic or mimetic word
1.(walking a long distance) at a steady pace; intently; earnestly; single-mindedly; trudgingly; ploddingly
About
This site is a digital gathering place for members of the TecTeck FunRun Club, which took root in Tokyo’s Inokashira Park in the early 1980s. Though our weekly runs are long behind us, the memories—and friendships—still go the distance. Here, we’re bringing together stories, photos, race mementos, and other bits and pieces from those spirited years. It’s part scrapbook, part time capsule, and a heartfelt tribute to wonderful memories and continuing friendship.
The TekTeck FunRun Club was started in the early 1980s in Kichijoji, Tokyo. TekTeck was the name of a running shoe store in Kichijoji Station and the owner was one of the founding members. The club met every Sunday morning in nearby Inokashira Park. Members left their gear in the back room of an old teahouse in the park and then went for a run in the park and beyond, returning to the teahouse after the workout for recovery and rehydration. And recover we did, scarfing down all manner of seasonal sweets and savouries: oshiruko (sweet red-bean soup with mochi), kakigori (shaved ice) , edamame, onigiri (rice balls), oden (hotpot of veg, egg and other ingredients) and banana parfait, among others. And some would have a beer and I even remember one having a beer and a banana parfait together. From my first run, I was amazed at how these wiry runners could put away so much food.
The club regularly took part in marathons around Japan, and often the Honolulu Marathon as well. Summer training camps were held by the sea. Interest in the club peaked in the mid-1980s, but as jobs, families, and changing priorities took hold, the group gradually wound down by the decade’s end.
Still, many members have kept in touch over the years. Below are photos from reunions held in 2025 and 2023.