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Aoyama Gakuin University's Tadashi Isshiki After 42.195 km Training Run in 2:28:10: "That Was Just Jogging"

http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20170201-OHT1T50148.html

translated by Brett Larner

Tadashi Isshiki, star fourth-year at 2015-2017 Hakone Ekiden champion Aoyama Gakuin University, completed a 42.195 km training run Feb. 1 in Futtsu, Chiba.  Isshiki ran the first 40 km in 2:21:52, roughly 3:33/km, before picking up the pace to 2:52/km to complete the final 2.195 km in 6:18 for a total time of 2:28:10.  Aoyama Gakuin head coach Susumu Hara, 49, has placed a heavy emphasis on major acceleration after 40 km, but Isshiki looked fresh as he finished the run, laughing, "That was just jogging."

Isshiki took part in Aoyama Gakuin's Jan. 13-15 marathon training camp in Futtsu but came down with a sore throat after the first day and dropped out. He soon recovered.  Planning to run the March 5 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in a bid to make the London World Championships marathon team he faces rising expectations as Japan's #1 university runner.

Also doing the 42.195 km training run today were Aoyama Gakuin third-years Yuki Nakamura and Shunpei Oda as well as Shoin University graduate Aritaka Kajiwara, 28, who ran the Hakone Ekiden four times on the Kanto Region Select Team.  Nakamura is in training for the Feb. 26 Tokyo Marathon, Oda for the Mar. 5 Shizuoka Marathon and Kajiwara for Lake Biwa alongside Isshiki.

Scheduled to run the Tokyo Marathon as part of its elite field, Japanese under-20 marathon national record holder Yuta Shimoda, an Aoyama Gakuin third-year with a 2:11:34 debut in Tokyo last year, has been experiencing pain in his right knee and sat the workout out.  On Jan. 15 Shimoda did the  identical workout in 2:27:35 with a 6:17 split for the last 2.195 km.

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