Race Report: the 54th Ohme 30K Road Race

On Feb. 16, 2020 I raced the 54th Ohme 30K Road Race that took place in Ohme City, Tokyo. I renewed my PR by slashing nearly 4 minutes off my previous course record from 2019. (See above.)  I'm happy with the result, because it was my goal to finish under the gun time of 2:25:00, and I achieved the goal. Below is a report of how I ran the race.

On the morning of the race it had been raining up until half an hour to the race, but it had stopped by the time I started heading for my corral, Corral D. While trying to find my space in the corral, a race official advised me to wear shoes. I was a little surprised. Either there was a rule against running in bare feet which I wasn't aware of it, or he was ignorant of the IAAF rule that says athletes can either run in bare feet or by wearing footwear. I just said to him, "Too late. My shoes are in the locker, and it's a 10 minute walk from here," and settled in the front of the corral. 

While waiting for the gun, I had my wind-breaker on to stay warm. There was a brief speech by 2000 Olympics gold medalist Ms. Naoko Takahashi a few minutes before the race, and it was before long that the race was officially underway when guest starter Ms. Homare Sawa, who is former captain of Japan's female national soccer team, fired the gun.

It took a while form me to reach the official start line. As I passed it, I called the name of Ms. Sawa who was up on a high stage set up next to the start line, waving at passing runners. She looked down to hear me and said, "Wow! Barefoot! Go easy!"

As I went down the street, the first thing I noticed was that there wasn't such a big gap between the gun time and the net time. It used to be huge when my time was pathetic, and my corral was way back. I felt a little proud about the entitlement.

I considered the first 5K as warm up. I carefully chose to run on painted lines to minimize damage to the sole. 

Between 5 and 10 K where undulation increases, I picked up the pace on downhills and saved energy on uphills. 

I saw an official display of time for the first time when I crossed the 10 K mark. It was 52 something. I was two minutes quicker than last year. My original plan was to slash a minute and a half in each half for a total gain of 3 minutes for the entire race. I was happy with the pace. From this point on I need to keep the steady pace until halfway.

Between 10 and 15 K the upward incline gets steeper. I continued to run as economically as possible to save energy for the second half where I was planning to surge.

Suppose you divide the course into 6 sections by 5K, there is always something worth noting about each section, but this 3rd section is unique in 3 ways. 

First, it is in this section that you meet the leading group and subsequent stream of follower. Every year I enjoy cheering them on. This year the leader was Daniel Muiva Kitonyi of Kanebo, originally from Kenya. He was smooth and beautiful. I wondered how on earth he could generate such tremendously explosive power from his relatively small stature. 

It wasn't until nearly half a minute later, though, that the second runner came. He looked familiar, but he went past so quickly and there wasn't time for me to recognize him. Later I found out it was Masaya Taguchi of Honda. He ran the famoust Hakone Ekiden when his Toyo University was at its best. He filled the gap  and overtook Daniel in the last 5K to win the race!

The second thing worth noting is that my cheer leader awaits me in this section. It is near 12K mark near JR Mitake Station. It is one of the most popular cheering spots because the station is right by the course. Because the cheer leader was wearing a head piece with deer horns on it, I easily spotted her and thanked her for cheering. (See the photo below.)

The first thing worth noting is that the section requires you to be most tactical. The road gets suddenly narrower. It's hard to thread through other runners. If you run too conservatively, all the gain in the previous sections can quickly evaporate. On the other hand if you get too gung-ho, it can take a toll on your legs, which inevitably makes it hard for you to run the second half explosively. 

After running a twisty road for a while, t here was a slight downhill, and suddenly the view opens up ahead of you. Then comes the last cheering spot of the first half near JR Kawai Station. The crowd gets bigger, and the energy level is through the roof! The turn point is near. Then I can see the official clock there.

I felt I ran the second fairly tactically. Not only was I able to overtake a significant number of runners who had been running before me, but also when I was about to reach the highest peak of the course where the course takes a U-turn and starts descending, I was still full of legs without any sign of strain in either of my legs. When I finally saw the clock at the peak, I discovered I was right. I was bang on 2 minutes quicker than last year. I kept my earlier gain.

A couple of hundreds of meters down the turn point there is the halfway point. As I crossed it, I said to myself, "Now the race is on. The real gain begins."

I changed gears and hurtled down the road. Some runners near me were apparently startled by my sudden increase in pace. It was that abrupt and enormous. I threaded through slower runners as if there was no tomorrow. Between 15 and 22.5K the course goes down much of the way. There are upward inclines occasionally, but they are brief and resistance is insignificant.

At 22.5K the first of the two major challenges came, what I respectfully call the heart break hill of Ohme. It's a nearly 500M uphill. It's not insanely steep, but its appearance at this particular stage of race makes it rather difficult to manage. For most half-marathoners, anything beyond 21.1K presents a significant challenge. The effect of too fast a pace in the earlier stage of the race typically shows here. I learned it the hard way years back. But not any more. When I reached the bottom of it, I said to myself, "Here comes the cherry of the cake." I pulled my chin down, took shorter and quicker steps to run up it rhythmically. 

As I came near the end of the hill, the crowd got bigger and cheering wilder. Every year a large band of drummers awaits runners here, and there were deafening drum beats as I thankfully waived back at the drummers who were waving their sticks at runners. 

With the heart break hill behind me, there is only one more uphill. It's near the 5K mark near JR Miyanohira Station. Until then the course is mainly going down. It's one of the last remaining opportunities to slash time. However, my legs were stinging a little, and I could feel one side of me wanted to settle into a comfortable pace. But another side of me said no, which forced me to change gears once again to hammer down the hill like a mad dog. 

As I overtook one runner after another, I checked their starting corral printed on their bib. I saw a number of As on the bibs of female runners. I was overtaking some female runners from the fastest corral! That seemed like an improvement.     

Shortly after the course leveled off, I found myself at the bottom of yet another uphill. This is the last uphill of the course. It's not so steep, nor is is so long. But just like the previous incline at 22.5K, its location at this particular stage of race makes is a cruel test of endurance for most inexperienced runners. And this year I didn't feel like I was one of them. 

Soon I found myself grabbing a cup of water from the fluid station near the 25 K mark, which is just before the highest point of the rest of the course. Now came the last opportunity to slash time, the last downhill portion before the finish line. I gave it everything I'd got. I didn't care if my legs might fall apart, or bloody blisters might rupture. 

Near the 27K mark the course levels off, and after that it's all flat. The size of the crowd gets bigger with each step as I goes farther into the city center. With only one more kilometers to go for the first time in the race I eased my pace only slightly and soaked up the insanely festive atmosphere and enjoyed the prospect of the approaching finish line. 

Traffic lights flickered at intersections blocking all traffic except for that of runners. Spectators who remembered me from the start of the race yelled, "Go, caveman!" and welcomed me home. 

Up ahead I saw a wall of spectators not only on both sides of the street, but also directly in across from me, which means it is the last intersection before the finish. Around the corner from there to the right is the home stretch leading to the finish. I looked around for my cheerleader. There she was, holding up her smartphone to take photos of me corning like I was on rails! 

Once into the home stretch, there was only 180 meters remaining. The cheers from the crowd were deafening. I found one last effort when the finish arch was in sight that was decorated with colorful balloon. My soles hurt, but it didn't stop me from accelerating. The arch got nearer and nearer, and finally I was on the other side of it with a whole bunch of runners who were no longer running. 

It was only after the race was over that I learned my time was well under my target, because I didn't have my watch on. 

Immediately after crossing the line, a cable TV crew member asked me for an interview, so I gladly complied. A reporter asked me why I was in a caveman's costume, so I told her it matched bare feet most. Startled, she looked down on my feet and goes, "Holy cow! You ran 30K in bare feet!?"

That night my soles hurt so badly it took a couple minutes for me to walk a hundred meters, but it seemed such honorable pain because it's the price of gain.

the 54th Ohme 30K Road Race

Memorial Video: The 54th Ohme 30K Road Race

On Feb. 16, 2020 the 54th Ohme 30K Road Race took place in Ohme City, Tokyo. I ran it in bare feet, renewed my PR, and my official gun time was for the first time under 2:25:00! For a glimpse of how the race went for me, please click  "the 54th Ohme 30K Road Race" to access my memorial video on You Tube.

Two Days Till Ohme 30 K Road Race: One-Hour Jog

Feb. 14, 2020
5.1 K: 31:37.50
5.1 K: 33:07.24
Total 10.2 K: 1:04:44

I finished the last training before the race tonight. I feel satisfied.

Tomorrow I will give myself a complete rest, fully recharging the body's batteries for the race on Sunday.

It's going to be the 8th time for me to run the course, and each time is a renewed pleasure. I've almost learned the course by heart. The first 3 K is almost flat, and then past 3 K a slight upward incline starts and last for a while. There is a long downhill before the 5 K mark. This section is warm up. It's hard to pick up the pace because the road is narrow, but there are still so many runners around you. But then as the incline gets steeper, weak runners start slowing down, and strong ones increase the pace little by little. As runners become farther apart from each other, passage ahead through slow runners becomes easier. This is the section where I am planning to run faster than last year. I want to run between 5 K and 15 K minimum 1 minute, and ideally a minute and a half faster than last year. Should I be able to do it, I can reach the turning point between 1:15:00 and 1:15:59. I must save as much energy as possible for the latter half, so I will pick up the pace, but do my best to run as economically as I can also. 

Two Sets by 1 K @ 4:15 with a 2-Minute Rest in Between

Feb. 13, 2020
Warm Up 3.5 K :20:14.99
<Intervals: 2 Sets by 1 K @ 4:15 with a 2-Minute Rest in Between>
1st K: 4:20.41
Rest: 2:00.16
2nd K: 4:06.44
************
Warm Down 3.5 K: 21:16.25
Total 9 K: 51:58.25

Three days to go before the race. I did two 1 K fast runs tonight. This is the last speed training before the race.

After coming home from training, I reviewed my split times in 2019. I crossed the halfway point in 1:18:23. This year I want to reach there a minute and a half earlier. And I also want to shed another one minute and a half in the second half to complete my first sub 2:25 race in terms of gun time. In terms of chip time I want to finish under 2:23:59.

Negishi Forest Park （根岸森林公園）

Feb. 11, 2020

Five days till the race. I'm in the tapering stage. It's National Foundation Day today. It's a national holiday. I have a day off.

I rode my bike in tandem with my bilingual companion to the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama. She and I had buffet lunch at Fisherman's Market operated by Kirin

After lunch we went to Negishi Forest Park. They charge you 300 yen for parking a car for every two hours, but there is no charge for motorcycles. 

It was packed with families with kids and people with dogs. Some were playing catch. Others were kicking a soccer ball around. Yet others were putting their legs up and relaxing. Some even put up their tent here and there. Looks like it's allowed. 

I took off my boots and ran barefooted. It felt awesome. 

Negishi Forest Park is hilly. I ran up some hills several times. My heart rates were immediately raised, the heart pounding like a drum.

The sky was cloudless. The winds were a bit chilly, but the sun was strong, and it kept me warm enough even with my sweater off after ten minutes of jogging and hill sprints. 

After leaving the park, I dropped my bilingual companion off at JR Negishi Station, and headed back home, driving along the Yokohane Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, and later into the Wangan Line.

At night I jogged 10 K in aqua shoes. 

10 K Tempo Run in MUTEKI

Feb. 9, 2020

Warm Up 700 M: 5:00.00

<10 K Tempo Run: Target Pace=4:45/K; Target Time for Each Lap=11:52; Target Finish Time=47:30>

2.5 K: 11:27

2.5 K: 11:17

2.5 K: 11:52

2.5 K: 11:11

Total 10 K: 45:47

Warm Down: 700 M: 5:00.00

It makes me sick to my stomach just to think about doing a tempo run. It's the most stressful training of all. Nevertheless, experience has taught me it is what guarantees the greatest gain. 

I was originally scheduled to do it on Saturday night, but I was too sleepy and tired to do it. I hit the bed immediately after coming home from work and finishing dinner. 

In the morning when I woke up, I was still tired. I dozed in bed for a few extra hours, and finally climbed out of futon around 11 a.m.to eat breakfast. I ate two oranges and a few cloves of garlic that I microwaved. I began to feel a surge of energy slowly building up inside. I put on my running gear and hit the road.

I dressed light to acclimatize for the race. My legs felt heavy in the first lap. But I was well under the target. I tried to ease my pace in the second. But I was comfortably under the target. I switched my breathing from 6 beat to 8 beat. Then finally in the 3rd lap I exactly hit the target. In the final lap I cruised along initially, but then in the second half, kicked a little and finished it in the fastest lap. I was satisfied. 

The hardest training is now over. In the coming 6 days leading to the race I am going to taper gradually except on Thursday night, I am going to a couple of 1 K fast runs just to briefly stimulate my cardio-vascular system. Other than just I'll just jog for an hour every day.

One-Hour Barefoot Jog

Feb. 7, 2020
10.5  K: 1:03:39

Nine days till the 54th Ohme 30 K Road Race. The hardest training, which is the interval training two days ago, is over, and I'm in tapering stage. Tonight I just went out for a slow jog after coming home from work. It was freezing, but I hit the road in bare feet. The main purpose is to acclimatization. I'm running the race without shoes, so I want my soles to be used to that condition. It takes a few days for them to recover from the damage. But when they do, they will have grown tougher. Several days before the race I stop running without shoes just to be on the safe side. Last year the night before running the Sakura Marathon, I went to the venue and test-ran the last several ten kilometers in bare feet. The following morning they were still slightly sore. Halfway into the race, they got hyper-sensitive. And the rest was a disaster. I will never make the same mistake again.

Hill Intervals: 3 K + 1 K @ 4:15/K

Feb. 5, 2019
Warm Up 3.5 K: 23:15.35
Active Rest: 2:15.94
<Intervals: Target Pace=4:15/K>
3 K: 12:53.83 (Target=12:45.00)
Active Rest: 2:00.45
1 K: 4:06.12 (Target=4:15.00)
Warm Down 9.7 K: 1:08:17
Total 17.5 K: 1:52:49 

Eleven days to go before the Ohme 30 K Road Race. This is the last interval training before the race. In order to develop the cardio-vascular capacity to withstand the
formidable undulation presented by the course, I ran a hilly 3 K course @ 4:15/K pace and did another 1 K fast run with a 2-minute break.

I fell short of my target in the first 3 K run, but finished well under the target in the following 1 K run.

According to a former Hakone Ekiden runner, there is greater gain associated with a long slow jog right after intensive interval training, so I extended my running distance significantly from the usual 3.5 K to 9.7 K. I hope to enjoy the benefit of this extra effort soon.

20 K Hill Tempo Run @ 4:45/K Pace

Feb. 2, 2019
Warm Up 2 K: 12:47.96
Rest: 43.53
20 K Hill Tempo Run: 1:36:09 (Target=1:35:00)
Warm Down 2 K: 17:24.90
Total 24 K: 2:07:05

This training is THE most important training for me before the Ohme 30 K Road Race. It's something I've never done before. I didn't do it because I didn't like it. I didn't like it because I was scared of it. I was scared of it because it seemed difficult. However, I finally made up my mind to do what I was most scared of not just because Mark Twain once advised us to do what we're most afraid of, but also because it's what I should do in order to become a stronger version of myself.

I jogged to the 2 K hilly shuttle course where I was going to do it. I mentally rehearsed the training as I approached the venue. When I got there, I briefly rested not because I needed it physically, but because I needed it psychologically to reset my motivation. 

I started a new lap on my chronograph, and started the countdown timer set at 4:45. It chimes every 4 minutes and 45 seconds. If the alarm goes off after running 1 K, I'm going faster than the target pace. If it goes off before reaching 1 K, I'm behind. This way I can keep track of my pace without looking at my watch and taking the lap at each K. 

I was slightly faster than the target until 13 K. However, between 13 and 14 K I realized keeping the same pace was becoming hard. The first sign of stress was a slight discomfort in the right hamstring. I considered quitting after running 14 K. I slowed down just a little bit to deal with the hamstring issue. It quickly went away. I kept on running, but wasn't as fast as I had been. 

When I finished running 14 K, I didn't hear the alarm, so I looked at the watch. I thought I was still ahead of the target. But the watch had already started counting down from 4:45. In fact, I was nearly 20 seconds behind. I did my best to catch up. But I couldn't...

As each K went by, I was going slower and slower. As I was running the 16 K, I was talking to myself, "Shall we call it a day after this K? If you add 2 K warming up and another 2 K warming down, it's 20 K anyway." That's my Id talking. But my other part of sub-conscious, namely "Super-ego", said, "Do what you should do no matter what." Then finally my "Ego" comes in and goes, "Well, look at it this way. By now you know very well that you're not gonna make it under the target. But! There is a but to it, you know. But! There is always a time when a race doesn't go to plan, and you only have a choice between quitting and going on running. When you do not choose to quit, the only thing that's left for you to do is face your misery. It hurts. But that's life. Life DOES hurt sometimes. And if you keep on running till the end no matter how slow you become, you can still build your mental toughness to deal with the painful encounter with that miserable version of you." ...I listened to my "Ego" and went on.

When I finally covered the entire 20 K, I was a minute and nine seconds behind the target. However, there was an indescribable feeling of achievement. I almost cried with satisfaction...

I grabbed the bottle of water I'd hidden in the bush, and started jogging back the way I'd come before.

Tomorrow I was originally planning to do LSD. But I will rest. I DO need a rest. My legs are already suffering from the new kind of stress that I imposed on them. But one thing is certain. They will be reborn, stronger, after the rest. 

Race Report: Tateyama Wakashio Marathon 2020

On January 26 the Tateyama Wakasio Marathon 2020 took place. I aimed to run my first sub 3.5 marathon. I fell short of the goal by a narrow margin of 19 seconds, but nonetheless I am happy with the result. I finished strongly by running a negative split. Plus, I now know what a sub-3.5 marathon feels like. Below is a report of how I ran the race.

                     

The gun officially went off at 10 o'clock sharp. The temperature at start was 4.3 degrees Celsius. There was a strong north wind. Most runners were either in rain coats or water-proof running jackets. I ran in a plastic garbage bag with a hole cut out, out of which I stuck my head.

I ran in a pair of aqua shoes like the one above. After having completed 16 full marathons, most in shoes of various kinds, and a handful without shoes, I had come to a conclusion that this 999-yen pair of aqua shoes with little cushioning are by far the best choice to run a marathon. They are light, warm enough under most conditions, and they remain light even after they get wet in the rain, because the sole is made of a meshed material so that the water drains immediately and never stays inside the shoe. 

Back to talking about the race, the first quarter of the race is warm up of warm up. I ran at my own pace without caring much about getting overtaken by so many runners. 

The first quarter of the course is only slightly undulated, but largely flat. Shortly before the 10 K mark the course winds down towards east, though, and then comes a first major uphill. I climbed it, making sure my heart rates wouldn't go up too much. This isn't the place to race yet.

The second quarter of the race, which is mostly along the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula, is flat. It overlooks the beautiful Pacific Ocean on the right. If the weather was good, the sky would be blue, and the sea even bluer, and the sun would be blazing, and it would be even slightly hot. But today both the sky and sea were grey. The bitter cold of the first quarter slightly eased as the northern winds were significantly blocked by the hills on the north, and they died down. I continued to be overtaken by so many runners in this phase of the race, but I just let them go, because the real race begins after the halfway point and when the course takes a sharp left turn into the hilly area. The course continues to ascend until a little past the 30 K mark with a few moderate downhills appearing along the way. The hilly section culminates with an almost 500 M ascent after the water station near the 10 K mark. I saw many runners walk here, but this is THE part of the race I most anticipate. It's the heart and soul, the flesh and bone of the Tateyama Marathon! In fact, when I finally reached the foot of the uphill I was so excited that I cried in those words, "Here comes the cherry of the cake!!" I shortened my strides and increased the cadence. I pulled my chin and looked at my own feet as I climbed the hill. You can run economically that way, and can also trick your mind. It doesn't feel like you are going up. 

When I finally reached the top of the hill, I was so happy that the worst was finally over. I hammered down the hill, accelerating with each step, overtaking runners who were too exhausted to take advantage of the descent. I took full advantage of it, and slowed down when the course flattened out again to calm down my breath. 

Between the 32 and 33 K mark the course takes a sudden right turn, and there comes a brief steep downhill just 50 meters long. It is there that the hilly section gives way to the coastal road again! A vast expanse of waters suddenly appears up ahead. Ordinarily it's calm and blue. Today it's grey and rough as if to tell me the race is not over yet, but that the real game begins right here, right now!

Once back on the coastal road I suddenly realized there were far fewer runners along the way. It was then that I realized that I was significantly ahead of most runners. I didn't know how fast I was going because I didn't have my watch on. But one thing was certain. I was still full of energy, compared with most runners around me. I did occasionally spot a runner or two who was still full of running, and was in fact accelerating at this last quarter. However, most were slowing down, some significantly presumably because their fast pace in earlier stages was now taking a toll on their legs and cardio-vascular system. I had been saving all of my energy until 30 K. That was the main difference. 

I continued to pick up the pace, overtaking one struggling runner after another. With two kilometers remaining I saw a familiar sight of the back of a female runner. I followed her for a while in an earlier stage of the race, but she was a lot faster, and her pace wasn't mine, so I just let her go. I enjoyed the greatest pleasure of marathon running--overtaking runners who had long gone ahead!

A prospect of the approaching finish started lifting my spirit, but the discomfort from building lactic acid and increasingly difficult breathing wouldn't allow it to be a pure joy. With 500 M to go, one of the cheerers along the road cried, "You can make a sub 3.5 marathon!" I couldn't believe my ear! Was I going that fast? Believing what he said, though, I put on a spurt like a mad dog. Taking the last left turn into the final stretch leading to the finish, I accelerated even more, losing balance slightly on a brief muddy section between the paved road and the lawned home stretch. The official clock was in sight up ahead on my left, but the time wasn't visible. I pressed on. With just a few meters to the finish finally I saw the time. It said 3:30 something. Goodness, how close I was to my first gross sub-3.5 marathon! But that's OK. I gave it everything I'd got today. That's what's most important. Give it all you've got. I trained so hard for it. And I certainly enjoyed the fruits of my months-long preparation. That's most important.

This is where the hilly section starts.

500 M to the finish line

Me overtaking runners who had long gone ahead of me in earlier stages of the race

My next race is the 54th Ohme 30 K Road Race on Feb. 16.

Misato Michishita Wins Beppu Marathon in World's Best Time

The Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon took place in the southern island of Kyushu. Ms. Misato Michishita of Japan, affectionately called Micchan in her close circle of friends, renewed her world best time of 2:56:14 in the women's T-12 category by more than 2 minutes. The guide runner who accompanied her victorious finish is Jun Shida, who is a former Hakone Ekiden runner. (See 15:40 of the video.)

He served as her guide runner when she won her 3rd consecutive winning title in 3:06:18 at the London Marathon last year also. The short strap between Micchan and Jun is called 'kizuna', or bond. It's a Japanese word for a very close relationship two people where one cannot stand without the other.

Congrats to Micchan and Jun! Your achievement is a great inspiration not only to physically-impaired people but also everyone around the world.

Marugame Half Marathon 2020 （第74回丸亀ハーフマラソン）

The Marugame Half Marathon 2020 took place in Marugame City Kagawa Prefecture on the 4th largest island of Japan, Shikoku.  It's a quiet town whose main industry is production of 'udon' which is thick noodles made of floor, but today this small local town was filled with athletic enthusiasm!

The race progressed at sub-1-hour half marathon pace, and Brett Robinson of Australia won by slowly spreading the margin from the rest of the leading group of hour with a couple of kilometers remaining. His winning time is 59:57.

The runner-up is Yusuke Ogura (小椋祐介) of Yakuruto. His time one hour flat is the new best half-marathon time of Japan. He wasn't even a guest runner, and yet beat the second Japanese to finish, Taku Fujimoto of Toyota, whose 1:00:06 is also an improvement from the previous best time held by Yuta Shitara of Honda, who finished 6th today.

Brett Robinson is one of the best Australian long-distance runners. He was invited to Vienna last October 12 as one of the pacers to bring Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya to the human race's first sub-2 marathon finish. Brilliant job, Brett! Your strong spurt was a sheer inspiration!

Also big thumbs up to Yusuke Ogura, who was completely unmarked until the last 3 K when the leading group was limited to just four runners. He maneuvered through the race fairly cleverly by remaining stealthy at the back of the pack. But he put on a spurt in the last 500 meters, overtook Taku Fujimoto, and even 2017 champion Callum Hawkins of the UK, and finished strongly only 3 seconds behind the winner. Good job, Yusuke! You are the man! In an interview after the race he said he was happy with the result but he wants more. Today he just followed the pace set by other runners. He wants to be able to set the pace to control the race. Now that's a pretty ambitious statement. He looks very high testosterone, fiercely competitive, and has high expectations of himself. He is running the Tokyo Marathon 2020 on March 1st. He wants to be the 1st Japanese finisher by running the best Japanese time to be the 3rd guy to run the marathon in the summer Olympics. Let's see how he'll do.

The race was enjoyable thanks to the commentary by Mr. Tetsuhiko Kin (金哲彦). As always he treated everyone with respect, and his comments were never biased. He treated everyone fairly. But that doesn't not mean his commentary is too neutral and boring. In fact, he is tremendously encouraging, and enthusiastic. His love of long-distance running is evident in every single word that he utters. He genuinely admire every single runner's every single effort to aim higher and work harder. Thanks, Kin san (as he is affectionately called by every citizen runner), the program was super exciting thanks to you!