tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post8590838682205029816..comments2024-03-12T06:26:20.751+09:00Comments on japan running news: Some Reflections on the EkidenBrett Larnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416317533206849280noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-16934404068607443252014-01-10T20:47:01.605+09:002014-01-10T20:47:01.605+09:00Brett - I thought I posted that about the big 4 bu...Brett - I thought I posted that about the big 4 but the refresh must have deleted it for some reason. My fault for not being patient and just letting it load. Just to reiterate my point, it seems that Oyagi's struggles began once he began to recruit the cream of the crop. His intentions are good (assuming he is telling the truth), because he emphasizes that college is just a transition wataru22noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-34986267665493170042014-01-10T13:39:00.006+09:002014-01-10T13:39:00.006+09:00Sorry Brett, one last comment, while Komazawa cert...Sorry Brett, one last comment, while Komazawa certainly ran great this year at Hakone, my point was that no matter how good/great they've run recently, someone else is more focused more ready to peak at Hakone, and the other ekidens are just preparation runs for them. Because the competition is so much greater, and Komazawa hasn't won it since 2008, maybe they now need to focus only on Mettshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16065599585180038625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-19371426982007217532014-01-10T12:34:51.609+09:002014-01-10T12:34:51.609+09:00Perhaps its time Komazawa/Oyagi realize the compet...Perhaps its time Komazawa/Oyagi realize the competition is so much improved, especially related to Hakone, that they can't dominate all the major collegiate ekidens like they did in the early 2000's. Toyo, as seen the past five years, seems to be able to focus/peak for Hakone and maybe just using the other two ekidens as training and or time goals in preparation for Hakone.<br /><br />Mettshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16065599585180038625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-81677006618883544412014-01-09T17:33:54.140+09:002014-01-09T17:33:54.140+09:00Wataru--
I just came on to respond to your comment...Wataru--<br />I just came on to respond to your comment about Oyagi dealing with big stars and see that it is gone. Did you delete it? I thought your guess about the change involving Komazawa recruiting big stars was pretty insightful and was also glad to see someone who remembers that Komazawa had a quartet, not a trio, and that Hoshi was part of it. It won't surprise me that much if he Brett Larnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13416317533206849280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-54345102983394962922014-01-09T02:30:29.346+09:002014-01-09T02:30:29.346+09:00That's really interesting. Thanks so much agai...That's really interesting. Thanks so much again, Brett.Joenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-51980713531584078632014-01-08T23:35:24.346+09:002014-01-08T23:35:24.346+09:00As you noted, there is a lot of entertainment valu...As you noted, there is a lot of entertainment value in watching not only who wins, but in who finishes in the top 10 to keep their auto-qualification, and who can avoid the dreaded kuriage. The heartbreak and drama of the kuriage especially, is what brings in the viewers. Judging by my wife's reaction, the most exciting part of the 2nd day was watching the poor Kokugakuin and Tokai runners wataru22noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-43687148223974313202014-01-07T18:42:54.790+09:002014-01-07T18:42:54.790+09:00I understand the situation. Here in Koera, they br...I understand the situation. Here in Koera, they bring in 3,4,5,10 Kenyans or Ethiopians for the 2 or 3 big marathons, and the TV coverage is basically only about them. They might show a Korean up front trying to keep pace, but once he drops off thats it. And they might show him finish. And they will show the women's race throughout. That's it. No other stories or angles to the marathon. Mettshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16065599585180038625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-52025555752504843542014-01-07T18:05:21.446+09:002014-01-07T18:05:21.446+09:00Thanks for the response, very interesting.Thanks for the response, very interesting.Li Hanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00683210268990058373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-12272127475332629832014-01-07T17:47:55.040+09:002014-01-07T17:47:55.040+09:00Hello, Toni, thanks for the response.
I don'...Hello, Toni, thanks for the response. <br /><br />I don't have any experience with broadcast television so I'm sure you're right about the budget issue being a major hurdle, but what you're saying falls right in line with the overall question I'm thinking about in this post. How can elite running be made more popular as a spectator sport in other countries? It's popularBrett Larnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13416317533206849280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-67389328943338458212014-01-07T16:56:44.907+09:002014-01-07T16:56:44.907+09:00As far as running with the Africans is concerned, ...As far as running with the Africans is concerned, there is another aspect to consider. Especially in track races (5,000 and 10,000) over the years, the Africans would be out in front and the Japanese in a pack a ways behind them. Well, the reason was, the Africans were just much better runners. The Japanese didn't go with them for the simple reason that they couldn't. Now with the new TokyoRacerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10293712044402763377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-22915780127506670852014-01-07T15:57:45.881+09:002014-01-07T15:57:45.881+09:00Continuing on with Li's question, I think the ...Continuing on with Li's question, I think the attitude of not trying to compete with non-Japanese is a little bit of a relic and is changing for the better. It hasn't been that long since there have been Africans here, and most Japanese don't get many opportunities to race non-Japanese competition even if they wanted too. Especially at the corporate level, the older coaches are Brett Larnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13416317533206849280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-950785287165113812014-01-07T15:57:35.571+09:002014-01-07T15:57:35.571+09:00Joe and Li--
Good questions. Joe's first. I...Joe and Li--<br /><br />Good questions. Joe's first. I think the situation you describe is a little bit of a fluke right now. Yamanashi Gakuin, the first school to start having Kenyans on their team, became a Hakone champion because the Kenyans were there. Nihon has been a top-three contender for much of the time that it's had Kenyans. Both schools just happen to have been relativelyBrett Larnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13416317533206849280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-13327816010194507762014-01-07T15:01:40.168+09:002014-01-07T15:01:40.168+09:00Lots of good comments, thank you. One at a time.
...Lots of good comments, thank you. One at a time.<br /><br />I've had some questions on email about why there are a few gun starts with a small number of runners on a few stages. The answer:<br /><br />If teams fall more than a pre-determined amount of time behind the leaders they have to start the<br />next stage at a particular time, usually with a white or other colored sash to show that Brett Larnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13416317533206849280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-30230911521830526572014-01-07T11:02:06.866+09:002014-01-07T11:02:06.866+09:00Hi Brett
Great post and analysis as usual. I'...Hi Brett<br /><br />Great post and analysis as usual. I've been reading JRN for a while now and JRN has had several comparisons with NCAA DI. I am wholly convinced, and I think most readers of this site would have been convinced by now, that Japanese collegiate running, particularly in the Kanto region for the past few years, is well ahead of the NCAA.<br /><br />Perhaps with having surpassedLi Hanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00683210268990058373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-88071585371852080922014-01-07T07:27:45.291+09:002014-01-07T07:27:45.291+09:00great post. wish we had ekiden in the US.great post. wish we had ekiden in the US.songstahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13852990150555127580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-43393733990728073002014-01-07T06:21:09.274+09:002014-01-07T06:21:09.274+09:00Brett,
Great column, and I certainly agree with y...Brett,<br /><br />Great column, and I certainly agree with your analysis. But as a member of the ESPN2 crew covering the 2013 NYC Marathon last fall (and many, many more such marathons over the years), I can tell you that the reason American TV doesn't show the runner in the red singlet coming up from behind, or the top American way back in the distance, is because there is only a budget forToni Reavishttp://tonireavis.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-20823644733109183702014-01-07T03:13:00.815+09:002014-01-07T03:13:00.815+09:00First, I love JRN and LOVE the Hakone Ekiden. With...First, I love JRN and LOVE the Hakone Ekiden. Without this blog there is no way I would be able to enjoy it half as much. Thank you so much.<br />Second, I was wondering about the foreign runners in the collegiate programs, Hakone contenders specifically. Why is it that the top teams don't have foreign runners, just the 6-10 placers? Is there some unwritten code that riding a Kenyan ringer toJoenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4506887802174553845.post-5193680223450296962014-01-07T02:24:59.391+09:002014-01-07T02:24:59.391+09:00Great Post ;-)
Ekiden, like Relays in USA NCAA, w...Great Post ;-)<br /><br />Ekiden, like Relays in USA NCAA, will be a solution ;-)Pablo Villaloboshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11925535580127108788noreply@blogger.com