Skip to main content

'The World-Famous Seko' Wows Celebrity Runners With His Comedy Stylings During Tokyo Marathon Training Session (updated)

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/society/news/2008/02/16/01.html
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainment/news/20080130-OHT1T00080.htm
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/flash/KFullFlash20080129024.html
http://www.nikkansports.com/general/p-gn-tp0-20080129-313417.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

13 comedians and announcers from Nihon Television are scheduled to run in the 2008 Tokyo Marathon on Feb. 17. Legendary marathoner Toshihiko Seko (51) oversaw the group's training at a practice session at Tokyo's Yumenoshima track on Jan. 29, overwhelming the entertainers with his wit and humor.

The group included 6 pretty young female announcers and 5 well-known comedians, but the one who made the biggest impression with his jokes was 'The World-Famous Seko.' Talking about Nihon Television's plans for a 7-hour broadcast of Tokyo, Seko commented, "They have too much free time. It's boring. This isn't the Hakone Ekiden!" After comedian Cunning Takeyama lost a 10,000 m time trial to all the female announcers, Seko told him, "You're no good because your name is Cunning. But then again, I only got into university through cunning....." When lovely announcer Maki Mori said, "I want to practice with Seko some more!" Seko quickly rejoined, "I wouldn't mind doing something a little more than just practicing!" Comedian Kunikazu Katsumata begged, "Mr. Seko, please start a new career as 'The God of Comedy!'"

During the 10,000 m time trial, comedian Sumiko Nishioka (33), who plays a dominatrix character in her standup routines, dropped out after 3 laps of the track (1200 m). Nevertheless, she snarled "I'm the only really serious one here. I'm going to beat all these cute little announcers!"

Tokyo Marathon supporter Mayor Shintaro Ishihara met with many of the celebrity runners on Feb. 15. Shocked by the obvious lack of fitness in some of the entertainers, Ishihara told them, "Take it easy out there, really. A television show isn't something worth dying for."

Also entered in Tokyo is Miyazaki Prefecture Governor and former comedian Hideo Higashikokubaru (50). After awarding prizes at the end of the spring Sumo tournament, the Governor ran the later part of the Tokyo course from Shinagawa to Odaiba on Jan. 27 as part of his preparation. Higashikokubara's blog said that he hasn't practiced enough for Tokyo and that he is worried. "This was my first run in 10 days. My knees didn't feel very good." This will be his first full marathon as Governor.

Translator's note: Seko was renowned and feared in his competitive days for his stoic, impassive race persona. As with last year, he is scheduled to sing at the Tokyo Marathon expo with his jazz group the Pankies.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Restaurant Owner Selected as Olympic Torchbearer Dies in Fire After Becoming Despondent Over Impact of Coronavirus Crisis (updated)

On the evening of Apr. 30, the 54-year-old male owner of a restaurant in Tokyo's Nerima ward specializing in tonkatsu deep fried pork cutlets died from full-body burns in a fire at the restaurant. The man had been one of the people chosen as a torchbearer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics torch relay. With the coronavirus crisis causing both the postponement of the Olympics and a loss of business at the restaurant, the man had recently started talking pessimistically about the future to those around him. With evidence of the man's body having been doused in tonkatsu cooking oil, metropolitan police from the Hikarigaoka Police Station are carefully examining the cause of the fire. At around 10:00 p.m. on the 30th, the fire broke out in the tonkatsu restaurant on the first floor of a three-story building. A neighborhood resident who noticed smoke called the fire department. Firefighters found the floor and part of a wall burning, with the man lying on the floor in the customer seat...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kawauchi Wins Inaugural Kawauchi Half Marathon

http://www.minyu-net.com/sports/running/FM20160501-070419.php translated by Brett Larner 川内優輝ロード pic.twitter.com/rEJk7CQPFV — みとっぽ (黒) (@mitoppo_tmyk) April 30, 2016 Yuki Kawauchi Road in Kawauchi, Fukushima Held to inspire former residents to return to the area after the nearby TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident five years ago, the village of Kawauchi held the first " Kawauchi no Sato Kaeru Half Marathon - From Reconstruction to Creation " on April 30.  The course started and finished at the village heliport.  1188 runners from across the country gathered to celebrate the village's revival as they ran through its springtime streets. The event's organizing committee was made up of local government and board of education members with support from the Fukushima Minyu Newspaper and other sponsors.  The race's purpose was to transmit the vitality and charm of the reconstructing Kawauchi village to the rest of the nation in hopes of helpin...
Post a Comment
Read more