Skip to main content

'Why Japan's Incredible Long-Distance Runners Will Never Win the London Marathon'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/why-japans-incredible-longdistance-runners-will-never-win-the-london-marathon-10182050.html

Two Japanese long distance runners have, in fact, won the London Marathon.  The coach cited in the article, Kenji Takao, is a middle and long distance track coach at Ritsumeikan University, a Kansai Region school in Kyoto that, being outside the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region, does not participate in the Hakone Ekiden.
Labels:

Comments

Mike Peters said…
Props to JRN for always being on the money and calling it how it is. Apparently the man who wrote the article regarding Japanese marathoners in London didn't do his homework in his own backyard. Without JRN setting it straight, people would actually believe that nonsense.
April 24, 2015 at 7:17 PM
Unknown said…
Finn has deep insight into Kenyan running, but his analysis of Japanese running seems a bit reductionist. I think he needs to spend a little more time on his feet in Japan to gain a more comprehensive picture of athletics here...(shame because he did so for Kenyan athletes).
I mean, the following quote may be a valid statement about the attitude of HS and collegiate running coaches in Japan, but it's not that much different from those of NCAA XC/Track coaches
"...coaches often don't think about the long-term prospects of their athletes, particularly at high school and university level."
There's a lot of room for improvement in Japan, but the situation is a bit more complex than Finn's analysis.
April 27, 2015 at 4:56 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Yuya Yoshida 2:05:16 CR to Win Fukuoka International Marathon

Yuya Yoshida 's story is really the kind you love to read. A guy who never got to run the big races at Aoyama Gakuin University until his very last chance his senior year, when he dropped a course record at the 2020 Hakone Ekiden in what he was thinking of as his last race. Then a 2:08:30 marathon debut for 3rd at Beppu on his coach's advice. Then a 2:07:05 win at the Fukuoka International Marathon later the same year after deciding to keep going and joining the GMO corporate team. A few years of setbacks, then a 2:06:37 PB in Osaka this spring. And now this. A 2:05:16 CR for the win in Fukuoka, 1:02:58 at halfway and a smoking 1:02:18 mostly solo 2nd half, 2 seconds under the old record set back in pre-super shoe days in 2009 by the great Tsegaye Kebede . Really, what else is there to say? Yoshida was great. In the pack through 25 km, then throwing down at dropping 2:06:31 man Yusuke Nishiyama and everyone else except Israeli Tadesse Getahon , who lasted another 5 km befor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fukuoka, Hofu, Kosa 10-Miler and More - Weekend Preview

It's a massive weekend of racing in Japan, so let's get to it. Fukuoka International Marathon Right now only four Japanese men have qualified for next year's Tokyo World Championships, and with recent times between 2:05:59 and 2:06:54 the main domestic group up front, Kenya Sonota , Yusuke Nishiyama , Yuya Yoshida , Kazuya Nishiyama and Daisuke Doi , will be aiming to add to that list. It's been a while since there's been this good a Japanese field in Fukuoka. There was a near-miss on China scoring its first Fukuoka win last year, and there's a strong Chinese contingent back this time including NR holder Jie He , 2:06:57, Shaohui Yang , 2:07:09, Jianhua Peng , 2:09:59, and Bo Li , 2:11:23. Israel has a small crew of three, Tesema Moges , Tadesse Getahon and Yitayew Abuhay , and the main Kenyan group including two-time winner Michael Githae , Bidan Karoki , Bethwel Yegon , Lemeck Too and Vincent Raimoi , is pretty well-positioned to help make it a race under t...
1 comment
Read more

Singh Breaks Indian NR to Win Hachioji Long Distance 10000 m, with 39 Going Sub-28

For the second time in two months Gulveer Singh was in Japan to race, and for the second time he outkicked Toyota corporate team rookie and 2023-2024 Komazawa University captain Mebuki Suzuki to win with a new Indian national record. Last time around it was September's Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup 5000 m in Niigata, where Singh ran a 13:11.82 NR, outpowering Suzuki over the last 200 m but Suzuki still coming in with an all-time Japanese #8 13:13.80. This time it was the Hachioji Long Distance 10000 m time trial meet in suburban Tokyo. Running the fastest heat targeting the 27:00.00 Tokyo World Championships standard, Singh started at the back of the pack and worked his way forward as the race progressed. The front end of the pack wore down to just Singh, Suzuki and Japan-based Kenyans Samwel Masai (Kao), Gilbert Kiprotich (Sunbelx) and Emmanuel Kiplagat (Mitsubishi Juko), splitting en route: 2:42 5:25 (2:43) 8:08 (2:43) 10:51 (2:43) 13:36 (2:45) 16:19 (2:43) 19:04 (2:45)...
Post a Comment
Read more