66' 42" : New world record over 1/2 marathon run a suit for Yuki Kawauchi

Kawauchi is a tough competitor, but it's become apparent that he's less focused on achieving his full potential than he is in maintaining notoriety. For the second games in a row, he's been left off the Japanese Olympic team. His progression as a marathoner has been stalled for five years (since before the London Games). Why is that? He's in his prime and certainly should've run faster by now. Kawauchi seems more interested in racing every weekend, in pursuing a legacy of "tempo marathons," which please his fans and probably provides some income, than in running as fast as he could. Otherwise, he would've run 2:05 or 2:06 by now. This suit stunt is nothing but an attention getter, and doesn't he already have that?

Chilhowee wrote:

Kawauchi is a tough competitor, but it's become apparent that he's less focused on achieving his full potential than he is in maintaining notoriety. For the second games in a row, he's been left off the Japanese Olympic team. His progression as a marathoner has been stalled for five years (since before the London Games). Why is that? He's in his prime and certainly should've run faster by now. Kawauchi seems more interested in racing every weekend, in pursuing a legacy of "tempo marathons," which please his fans and probably provides some income, than in running as fast as he could. Otherwise, he would've run 2:05 or 2:06 by now. This suit stunt is nothing but an attention getter, and doesn't he already have that?

THIS!

Chilhowee wrote:

Kawauchi is a tough competitor, but it's become apparent that he's less focused on achieving his full potential than he is in maintaining notoriety. For the second games in a row, he's been left off the Japanese Olympic team. His progression as a marathoner has been stalled for five years (since before the London Games). Why is that? He's in his prime and certainly should've run faster by now. Kawauchi seems more interested in racing every weekend, in pursuing a legacy of "tempo marathons," which please his fans and probably provides some income, than in running as fast as he could. Otherwise, he would've run 2:05 or 2:06 by now. This suit stunt is nothing but an attention getter, and doesn't he already have that?

Running PRs twice in 2013 is not really "has been stalled for five years (since before the London Games)."

Working Runner wrote:

fred wrote:

How about he quits his job, starts running 120 miles a week and cuts the cr@p.

What makes you think he isn't running this much already. I work full time and run 120+ miles a week. Its possible to train at an elite/sub-elite level(whatever term you prefer) working full time. Yeah its tough to do all the little extra things groups like NOP do but you can train pretty Damn hard while working full time.

Yuki:

"I run about 140K [86 miles] per week. Monday and Tuesday are just jogging. On Wednesday I do intervals or a tempo run. The intervals might be 10 x 1,000m in about three minutes or just under. I’ll also do interval workouts like 20 x 400m, and that’ll be at a slightly faster pace. Thursday and Friday are just jogging, and if I don’t have a race on Sunday, I’ll do something serious on Saturday like a long tempo run."

He's screwing around

Running faster than most American runners for the past oh so many years. Sure he is screwing around, fred...

He's an amateur, who the f*ck cares? Want me to critique your training dipsh*t? He just happens to be a really fast amateur but he is still nothing on the world stage in terms of marathoner. More power to him working and still running fast.

Chilhowee wrote:

Kawauchi is a tough competitor, but it's become apparent that he's less focused on achieving his full potential than he is in maintaining notoriety. For the second games in a row, he's been left off the Japanese Olympic team. His progression as a marathoner has been stalled for five years (since before the London Games). Why is that? He's in his prime and certainly should've run faster by now. Kawauchi seems more interested in racing every weekend, in pursuing a legacy of "tempo marathons," which please his fans and probably provides some income, than in running as fast as he could. Otherwise, he would've run 2:05 or 2:06 by now. This suit stunt is nothing but an attention getter, and doesn't he already have that?

On what basis would you think he could run 2:06, let alone 2:05? His 1/2 PR is 1:02, and none of his under-distance events are any faster. He maybe could eke out a 2:07 if he raced less, but...so what?

Kawauchi is now the proud owner of 2 world records (other one see here

). He is up there with the greats if you look at his scehdule. Throw in Dennis Kimetto or whoever to run his race schedule with marathons every few weeks and they would likely fall apart within a a month or two even without a full time job. This ability is what makes Kawauchi so great and is why he is talked about so much.

And the great thing about it is, as you say, that he is an amateur so who cares !!

Nope, you don't get to do that. Kawuchi can't hold a candle to Kimetto or any other truly world class marathoner as he has proven over and over again. You (and maybe him?) can't use his choices as crutches when it is convenient.

Yeah, lets celebrate an 86 mile a week guy running a 1:06 half in a suit.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

Does Japanese law say that Yuki can't have 2 jobs? Why can't he take the money for racing?

Marchant's law firm doesn't tell her that she can't earn money from winning Canadian races.

Did Yuki just make this stuff up because he's a headcase?

I see your point but Kawauchi now has 2 world records whereas Kimetto has 1. Greatness does not have to be only measured by a single absolute performance. At the end of their careers I think that Kawauchi will have ran many more Sub 2h 10 marathons than Kimetto. Arguing whether Sydney Maree is a greater miler than John Walker is difficult even though Maree had the faster 1500m pb.

fred wrote:

Yeah, lets celebrate an 86 mile a week guy running a 1:06 half in a suit.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

We are celebrating a new world record; this is something noteworthy that just happened.

Maybe he isn't delusional like everybody else that thinks they will have no problem going from 208 to 203. That's another 10 seconds/mile.

If running in a suit or doing a marathon every few weeks makes him happy, good for him.

fred wrote:

Does Japanese law say that Yuki can't have 2 jobs? Why can't he take the money for racing?

Marchant's law firm doesn't tell her that she can't earn money from winning Canadian races.

Did Yuki just make this stuff up because he's a headcase?

As I understand it, he can't accept appearance fees because he's a Japanese gov't employee. I think he does take prize money, though.

Why are you so opposed to this guy? He's a great runner who makes American pros look ridiculous with their fastidious lifestyles, training plans, spare racing, and 2:13 PRs. Why whine about him, when he's just a guy who enjoys what he's doing and doesn't want to be beholden to anyone?

[quote]fred wrote:

Does Japanese law say that Yuki can't have 2 jobs?/quote]

Yes, that's correct.

Yeah Rojo-Ho-Hum...going back to the track is what it would take. As you say, Kawauchi-San has barely broken 14 in the 5k, and he would have to spend part of his year working on speed. Then his 10k would drop into the 27's and everything else would follow. You're right that 2:05 is a little too optimistic, but I think that 2:06 and 2:07 are doable, if he changes his approach, stops serial-marathoning, and focuses some on speed and quality. But he's apparently content to be media figure rather than the fastest Japanese marathoner. His 2:08:14 PR works out to somewhere around 27:40 for a 10k, if he got down to 27:40 and lowered it some more, his Half would come down a minute and the marathon would too. You say "so what" to a 2:06 or 2:07, but on some days, those kind of times can win a World Marathon Major, and it would be awesome if Kawauchi could do so, because he is an amazing competitor and character. I recall a pre-race photo from the Tokyo Marathon from a couple of years ago, with Kimetto, Gebrselassie, Kawauchi, and some other fast Japanese guys, all standing shoulder to shoulder with their fists held forward, in a sort of group point. The other fast Japanese guys smiled and looked sort of sheepish and silly, but Kawauchi glared at the camera like Toshiro Mifune in The Seven Samurai. And Kawauchi competes with a Mifune-like intensity, which is great. It would be fantastic to see him reach another level and win, something that won't happen unless he works on his speed and cuts the monthly marathoning.

That's very cool imo. I wonder if any woman has run in party attire, say a dress or a skirt and top. Is there a "world record" for that.

mol21 wrote:

Chilhowee wrote:

Kawauchi is a tough competitor, but it's become apparent that he's less focused on achieving his full potential than he is in maintaining notoriety. For the second games in a row, he's been left off the Japanese Olympic team. His progression as a marathoner has been stalled for five years (since before the London Games). Why is that? He's in his prime and certainly should've run faster by now. Kawauchi seems more interested in racing every weekend, in pursuing a legacy of "tempo marathons," which please his fans and probably provides some income, than in running as fast as he could. Otherwise, he would've run 2:05 or 2:06 by now. This suit stunt is nothing but an attention getter, and doesn't he already have that?

THIS!

NOT THIS!

Yuki's partially fulfilled potential is good enough to run FASTER than EVERY American at last year's NYC marathon.