by Brett Larner
Far from the spotlight of Haile Gebreselassie’s historic 2:03:59 world record run, Japan’s two entrants in the Berlin Marathon, Team Nissin Shokuhin runner Toshihari Suwa and Team Nissin Shokuhin coach Kenjiro Jitsui, also achieved results which were in opposing ways noteworthy.
Suwa is one of Japan’s best-ever marathoners, with a PB of 2:07:55, a 6th-place finish in the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon and a 7th-place finish in the 2007 Osaka World Championships marathon among his credentials and at 31 still young enough to have a future. At the same time, he is cursed: since his debut at the 2001 Nagano Marathon Suwa has never, not even in his 2:07 run, been the top Japanese finisher in a marathon when other Japanese were running.
Jitsui is a true veteran, having run his PB of 2:08:50 in 1996 while qualifying for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics marathon where he finished 93rd. Although he afterwards faded into the relative anonymity of the Japanese corporate running world, Jitsui began to reemerge in the marathon scene as he entered his late 30’s, making his marathon comeback by finishing 6th at the 2006 Boston Marathon, 8th at the 2007 Biwako Mainichi Marathon and a 2:13:38 11th place finish at the 2008 Tokyo Marathon. Functionally a part of Nissin’s coaching staff at this stage in his life, Jitsui’s late-career revival is unusual to say the least. With the younger and stronger Suwa looking ready for a big run against the pack trailing Gebrselassie’s world record attempt, it appeared that the 40 year-old Jitsui was along in a supporting role.
Suwa started well, clocking a 5 km split of 14:55 and a 10 km split of 30:03, but it was soon evident that he was in a for a tough day as he slowed to 15:42 for the section from 10 km to 15 km. He held to roughly 15:45 splits through 25 km, passing halfway in 1:04:55, but heading to 30 km his split dropped to 16:13. Suwa is notorious for fading between 30 and 37 km only to come back with a big finish, but even for him this was an early onset of fatigue. He held to 16:15 pace through 40 km, hitting the 40 km marker in 2:05:54.
Behind him, Jitsui ran his own race. He reached 5 km in 15:34 and thereafter held to consistent sub-16 minute splits, crossing halfway in 1:06:21. After slowing to 16:13 between 20 km and 25 km he began to steadily accelerate, running 15:47 from 25 km to 30 km and picking up ground on the ailing Suwa. He followed with a 15:44, then an impressive 15:27 between 35 km and 40 km to bring him to the 40 km marker in 2:05:59, just five seconds behind his younger teammate and traveling around 10 second faster per kilometer.
Suwa’s curse once again took control as Jitsui sailed past. Against all expectations Jitsui finished 7th in 2:12:48, Suwa struggling in for 8th in 2:13:04. It was one of Jitsui’s best times and good enough for him to win the 40+ master’s division, but Suwa’s time was one of his worst. Once again he was relegated to the Japanese runner-up position, unable to take the domestic win even against one of his coaches, a bitter result after a disappointing year and one which adds weight to his reputation as the man doomed to never come out on top.
Click here for Kenjiro Jitsui and Toshinari Suwa’s splits from the 2008 Berlin Marathon.
© 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Far from the spotlight of Haile Gebreselassie’s historic 2:03:59 world record run, Japan’s two entrants in the Berlin Marathon, Team Nissin Shokuhin runner Toshihari Suwa and Team Nissin Shokuhin coach Kenjiro Jitsui, also achieved results which were in opposing ways noteworthy.
Suwa is one of Japan’s best-ever marathoners, with a PB of 2:07:55, a 6th-place finish in the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon and a 7th-place finish in the 2007 Osaka World Championships marathon among his credentials and at 31 still young enough to have a future. At the same time, he is cursed: since his debut at the 2001 Nagano Marathon Suwa has never, not even in his 2:07 run, been the top Japanese finisher in a marathon when other Japanese were running.
Jitsui is a true veteran, having run his PB of 2:08:50 in 1996 while qualifying for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics marathon where he finished 93rd. Although he afterwards faded into the relative anonymity of the Japanese corporate running world, Jitsui began to reemerge in the marathon scene as he entered his late 30’s, making his marathon comeback by finishing 6th at the 2006 Boston Marathon, 8th at the 2007 Biwako Mainichi Marathon and a 2:13:38 11th place finish at the 2008 Tokyo Marathon. Functionally a part of Nissin’s coaching staff at this stage in his life, Jitsui’s late-career revival is unusual to say the least. With the younger and stronger Suwa looking ready for a big run against the pack trailing Gebrselassie’s world record attempt, it appeared that the 40 year-old Jitsui was along in a supporting role.
Suwa started well, clocking a 5 km split of 14:55 and a 10 km split of 30:03, but it was soon evident that he was in a for a tough day as he slowed to 15:42 for the section from 10 km to 15 km. He held to roughly 15:45 splits through 25 km, passing halfway in 1:04:55, but heading to 30 km his split dropped to 16:13. Suwa is notorious for fading between 30 and 37 km only to come back with a big finish, but even for him this was an early onset of fatigue. He held to 16:15 pace through 40 km, hitting the 40 km marker in 2:05:54.
Behind him, Jitsui ran his own race. He reached 5 km in 15:34 and thereafter held to consistent sub-16 minute splits, crossing halfway in 1:06:21. After slowing to 16:13 between 20 km and 25 km he began to steadily accelerate, running 15:47 from 25 km to 30 km and picking up ground on the ailing Suwa. He followed with a 15:44, then an impressive 15:27 between 35 km and 40 km to bring him to the 40 km marker in 2:05:59, just five seconds behind his younger teammate and traveling around 10 second faster per kilometer.
Suwa’s curse once again took control as Jitsui sailed past. Against all expectations Jitsui finished 7th in 2:12:48, Suwa struggling in for 8th in 2:13:04. It was one of Jitsui’s best times and good enough for him to win the 40+ master’s division, but Suwa’s time was one of his worst. Once again he was relegated to the Japanese runner-up position, unable to take the domestic win even against one of his coaches, a bitter result after a disappointing year and one which adds weight to his reputation as the man doomed to never come out on top.
Click here for Kenjiro Jitsui and Toshinari Suwa’s splits from the 2008 Berlin Marathon.
© 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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