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Olympic Marathoner Nakamoto Aiming to Be "Top Japanese Man"

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/307872

translated by Brett Larner

London Olympics marathon team member Kentaro Nakamoto held a public practice session June 15 near his sponsor Yasukawa Denki's headquarters in Kita-Kyushu.  With his training going very smoothly, Nakamoto spoke enthusiastically as he said his goal for August's main event is, "To be the top Japanese man.  Making top eight is also a goal."

In late May Nakamoto ran a 10 km race in London along parts of the same course the Olympic Marathon will follow.  The course is loaded with sharp curves and cobblestones and is definitely tough, but, he said with confidence, "Every summer I train somewhere with a lot of hills, so if I train the way I do every year it'll be fine."  This summer Nakamoto will do much of his training in Hokkaido and Oita to get ready for the Olympic marathon.

Translator's note: Nakamoto was a college teammate of the fastest man on the Japanese Olympic marathon squad, Arata Fujiwara (Miki House).  Nakamoto has run a PB every year since debuting in 2008, most recently a 2:08:53 at March's Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon to make the Olympic team, and in eight marathons including last summer's Daegu World Championships he has never finished outside the top ten.  Last month he ran a 10000 m PB, breaking 29 minutes for the first time.

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