Inoue Returns from New Zealand Training Camp Ahead of Boston: "More Than Just Running It I Want to Win"

Don't set limits on yourself. 2018 Jakarta Asian Games marathon gold medalist and all-time Japanese #5 man at 2:06:54, Hiroto Inoue (26, MHPS) returned to Japan on Jan. 31 after three weeks of training in New Zealand for the Apr. 15 Boston Marathon. Even though New Zealand was hit by a severe heat wave with temperatures going over 30˚C, he completed a 50 km run and two 40 km runs. Inoue was positive about the training camp, saying, "I built up a good base and ran according to purpose. The sunshine was brutally strong and there were days when it was really windy, but by training hard in the midst of tough conditions I've put in the groundwork to be able to handle the distance." His coach Jun Kuroki, 47, was also positive, saying, "He had no injury issues, trained well, and had a good time."

The ability to win is what he is honing now. In preparation for September's MGC Race 2020 Tokyo Olympic marathon trials, Inoue will give March's Tokyo Marathon a miss in favor of the Boston Marathon, a part of the World Marathon Majors series of the world's best marathons. "When you're planning to compete against the best you have to become stronger if you want to be number one," Inoue said. "I'm focusing on competing more than time. I want to be able to handle the changes in pace that the foreign runners will drop in a race without pacers, and to be able to use my strength to make some moves of my own. More than just running it I want to win."

In not having pacers Boston will give Inoue the same kind of experience he will face at the MGC Race, and with uphills late in the race the two courses are also similar. But in competitive level they differ. "Boston is higher-level than the MGC Race," said Inoue. A competitive race in Boston against some of the world's best will be a big boost to his self-confidence at the MGC Race. "Developing experience and ability is a cumulative process," he said.

Inoue also showed the motivation to deliver Japan's first 2:04 marathon. When he won the gold medal in Jakarta Inoue outkicked Moroccan-born El Hassan El Abbassi (Bahrain) in the home straight. In December El Abbassi ran 2:04:43. Asked about El Abbassi's time Inoue said, "I can't see how he did it at all," but of his own chances for a 2:04 he said, "I think I can do that." Quoting world record holder Eliud KIpchoge he added, "No human is limited."

Inoue's first race after returning to Japan will be the Feb. 10 Karatsu 10 Mile Road Race, where he will get an early shot at 2018 Boston winner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't). "I'm still a bit tired, but I want to see how competitive I can be over a distance like 10 miles," Inoue said. After Karatsu he plans to run the Mar. 3 Tamana Half Marathon in Kumamoto. Following that is Boston. Balancing speed and competitive ability, each race is just one more step in Inoue's buildup to September's main event where he will face Yuma Hattori (Toyota), Suguru Osako (Nike Oregon Project) and Yuta Shitara (Honda) as one of the four favorites for the Tokyo Olympic team.

source articles:
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190131-00000130-sph-spo
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190131-00465644-nksports-spo
https://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20190131/ath19013119180002-n1.html
translated and edited by Brett Larner

photo © 2017 Mika Tokairin, all rights reserved

Japan's Team Performance at World U20 Championships

There wasn't much surprise in the events where Japan did well at the Oregon World U20 Championships , with medals in the men's 110 mH, 400 mH and 3000 m, and top 5 finishes in the women's and men's 5000 m race walks, men's 4x100 m relay, men's pole vault and long jump, men's 200 m, women's 800 m and 3000 m, and women's javelin throw. Jeremy Koga ran a 12.95 (+0.3) Asian U20 AR in the men's 110 mH semifinals, then came back in the final with a 12.97 (+0.7) in the final to take silver behind a brilliant 12.72 U20 WR by American Le'Ezra Brown . Taiju Goto was expected to medal in the men's 400 mH, but after leading the semifinals the best he could do was silver in 49.23, gold going to the Czech Republic's Michal Rada with a 48.59 European U20 AR. Expected to do better in the 1500 m, Ojiro Honda ran a 7:48.49 U20 NR in the men's 3000 m final to score bronze, only to come in near the back of the field in the 1500 m final at 14th in...

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...

Some Mid-Season Women's Corporate Team Roster Changes

The Daiichi Life women's corporate team announced last week on its official site that Paris Olympics 10000 m runner Haruka Kokai and teammate Yuka Masubuchi left the organization as of July 31. Kokai was born in 2003. Kokai rose to the national level while at Sendai Ikuei H.S. , winning the first leg at the National High School Ekiden her 2nd year to lead them to the overall national title. After graduating she joined Daiichi Life, then called Daiichi Seimei, in 2021. In March, 2023 she was the gold medalist in the women's 10000 m at the Asian Championships, and in December the same year she took 3rd in the National Championships 10000 m in an all-time Japanese #7 30:57.67 to score a place on the Paris Olympics team. In Paris she placed 19th. In a statement released by Daiichi Life Kokai said, "I want to thank the team, who always put the athletes first as they shared this journey, and all my teammates for so many good times together. There were times I got really disco...

japan running news

Search This Blog