Not so fast Mary Cain - Japanese HS jr runs 9:06 3k

... nor do I. It was a lighthearted header. If Ms. Cain wolfs down her dinner at an unseemly speed, her parents might say "Not so fast, Mary."

Last time I checked, 9:02 was 4 seconds better than 9:06. Can anyone confirm?

Yes, confirmed. Just checked Peano's Axioms. 9:06 is one of a few successors to 9:02 -- although, strictly speaking, this should apply to integers. 9:06 is a successor to a successor, etc.

I'm not sure the direct application of Peano's Axioms is valid. It depends on whether you consider time in this case to be countable or uncountable. I think we can agree that time can take on any non-negative real value (uncountable), however time as respresented in running results may only be as specific as the hundreths place. If we accept the later to be true, then define a set A = {a|a*100 is an element of N}. There is an obvious bijection B between A and N, B(a) = 100*a, and from there Peano's axioms would apply directly to prove that 9:06.XX is indeed greater than 9:02.XX (I believe, my proof writing is rusty). However, if we take time to be uncountably infinite, we are at an impasse.

In any event, I think we should contact Mary Cain and let her know that there is a high possibility that a Japanese runner is slower than her.

Does anyone know the age of the Grade 9 girl who ran the 9:10? Would she have been 13 or 14 when she ran that time? That is a phenomenal performance!

Australian girl (Emily Bricheck) ran 9:05 for 3k a few years back in small local meet at the age of 15.

14 or 15 more likely. I was 13 for most of my 9th grade year but thats because I skipped a grade.

8:52 is the Japanese High School record.8:48 is the "All-Comer" record by a Kenyan who competes for a Japanese high school.Brett has already explained this in his post (second from the top.)

rojo wrote:

I didn't realize she didn't run in that race.

My bad.

Brett, I used google translate for this page:

http://www.rikujyokyogi.co.jp/DATA/record03.htm

Why are there two times listed for the 3000? One at 8:48 and one at 8:52.

The poster above is right, 8:48 is the time Mary Waithera ran, i.e. fastest time by a non-Japanese high schooler in Japan, and 8:52 is Yuriko Kobayashi's mark, the fastest time ever by a Japanese high schooler.

Uehara's 9:06 is good but not that unusual. Japan usually has 2~3 high school girls a year, 6 in 2011, running 9:04~9:09, but as far as I know Kobayashi is the only one in the last ten years to do 9:02 or better. Solid run from Cain.

alejandro wrote:

Does anyone know the age of the Grade 9 girl who ran the 9:10? Would she have been 13 or 14 when she ran that time? That is a phenomenal performance!

Takamatsu is 15. I'll be translating a short bio on her sometime today.

This is a serious question:

If they turn out 2-3 a year running 3:02 per K for 3km, why don't they put out internationalists running 15:00~ish for 5000m / 31:00~ish every year?

In other words: if 9:02 indoors on a 300m track was the best HS Girl's performance of all-time in America, and Japan has 2-3 performances close to this EVERY year, why are they not winning the World Cross Country Championships or at least at the Junior level?

Or at least placing second or third to Ethiopia and Kenya? I think that they score only four for women, so maybe the East Africans will always win due to having the best at the very top? But I was aware that Japan has great marathoners and some great 10kers, but are these girls running 9:05 just burning out, or do they keep on but never rise above the 8:55-9:05 level?

I am sincerely curious about your opinion on this.

Thats what I was wondering.

Hmmm... Isn't 15 a bit old for the first couple of months of 9th Grade? I skipped a Grade, but was only 12 for the start of Grade 9. Do the Japanese enter Grade 1 later than we do?