Yuki Sato of SG Holdings got section prize for renewing the course record for the 4th leg of the New Year Ekiden Race. Congratulations to you, Yuki Sato. You are the best-est.
Yuki Sato has been one of the leading long-distance runners of Japan ever since he displayed his eminence in his junior high school days.
His record from 2007 for the 1st leg of the famous Hakone Ekiden Race still stands as the best time for that section 13 years after his achievement.
However, over the last decade or so he didn't seem to live up to everyone's expectations. A big disappointment was in major marathons. He would run at a brisk pace until 30 K. But then he would almost always slow down after that. It seemed as if he hadn't done the training necessary to finish a marathon strongly.
But as I saw him run today, I'm beginning to think that it's more fair to say that marathon is not his ball game. The half marathon distance is where he excels most.
Sir Mo Farah decided to race in 10000m again after running several marathons with one win in a major marathon and some better-than-average results. Marathon isn't his ball game. 10000m is. The same can be said with Yuko.
Yuki is 34. Some say he's too old to win. But Carlos Lopes of Portugal won the gold medal at the summer Olympics in Los Angles in 1984 when he was 37. Long-distance runners can be at their best in their mid 30s if they maintain their mind-body well. If Yuki takes good care of himself, optimizes his training, and races in the distances that bring out the best in him, I believe he can continue to perform well in major races for a few more years down the road.
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