Kengo Suzuki 2:04:56 at Lake Biwa!!! New Japanese record

1. Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) - 2:04:56 - NR

2. Hidekazu Hijikata (Honda) - 2:06:26

3. Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima) - 2:06:35

4. Hiroto Inoue (Mitsubishi Juko) - 2:06:47

5. Yusuke Ogura (Yakult) - 2:06:51

6. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 2:07:12

7. Simon Kariuki (Kenya/Togami Denki) - 2:07:18

8. Masato Kikuchi (Konica Minolta) - 2:07:20

9. Kento Kikutani (Toyota Boshoku) - 2:07:26

10. Yuki Kawauchi (Nissei) - 2:07:27

11. Kazuki Muramoto (Sumitomo Denko) - 2:07:36

12. Masaru Aoki (Kanebo) - 2:07:40

13. Tsubasa Ichiyama (Komori Corp.) - 2:07:41

14. Masaki Sakuda (JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:07:42

15. Atsumi Ashiwa (Honda) - 2:07:54

source:

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2021/02/kengo-suzuki-20456-national-record-to.html

Inoue in forth has run 2:06 before I believe. How many Japanese runners have done that more than once? Just Osako?

Could Galen have finished in the top 10?

Top 15 go sub-2:08

Top 28 go sub-2:09

Top 42 go sub-2:10

Seems that years of hard training starting in 7th grade

plus hundreds of comrades in arms

plus lots of encouragement/TV coverage

plus a pro system in which you can earn a living long-term

plus super shoes to aid recovery and gain a couple % while racing

= an amazing outcome!

https://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2021/02/kengo-suzuki-20456-national-record-to.html

Florida Boy wrote:

Inoue in forth has run 2:06 before I believe. How many Japanese runners have done that more than once? Just Osako?

Yes, he ran 2:06:54 in Tokio 2018. Also worth mentioning that he still went with normal flats in this race afair

And yes, only Osako did that twice before. Osako however had access to the newest nike shoes since his debut back in 2017 while most of the other runners only switched 1-3 years later, so I guess it might happen more often in the future

Also, shout out to Ser-Od Bat-Ochir of Mongolia, running a 2:09 at 39 years old

Third guy had a ‘special’ debut here in Lake Biwa last year, 2.28.47. Saw him 120th then and ranked outside the top 1000 worldwide. Two things: greatest PR drop for an elite EVER, and that ranking gets smashed.

juddy96 wrote:

Apparently 40 guys went sub 2:10, I'll post a thread of all those guys (most of them having PB'd) when its official

2:10:49 got you 50th place.

Florida Boy wrote:

Also, shout out to Ser-Od Bat-Ochir of Mongolia, running a 2:09 at 39 years old

+1

This is some humble pie for American distance running. We need a better system.

jjkhhhh wrote:

This is some humble pie for American distance running. We need a better system.

Well your country as a whole has to give a crap. They Japanese train for these distances when they are young, have a strong coaching and support system, and have corporations sponsor professional teams after university. Imagine if all the work the USA put into supporting beer league softball was put into marathon running.

Are we sure this course is legit?

A crown for Kengo Suzuki: fastest non-African marathoner of all time.

Great job LetsRun for having an official thread.

I don't think Galen has ever lost to a Japanese marathoner in a marathon.

Jimmbo wrote:

Could Galen have finished in the top 10?

Standard Setter wrote:

I don't think Galen has ever lost to a Japanese marathoner in a marathon.

Jimmbo wrote:

Could Galen have finished in the top 10?

I believe Osaka beat him at Chicago the year Galen’s Achilles gave out, and if you count Boston 18 when he dropped out, Yuki beat him as well

jjkhhhh wrote:

This is some humble pie for American distance running. We need a better system.

Well, yes, no, maybe? Most of these guys likely have part time jobs at full time salaries with Japanese corporations. The corporations do that because there's a load of spectator interest in long road races in Japan so it's good publicity for them. I can't imagine US businesses getting remotely as much publicity here because there's nowhere near the spectator interest.

And while the US is no match for Japan at the marathon in terms of times, at international competitions Japan and the US are comparable in terms of high placings and medals won. I'm not going to dig into this now but I would not be surprised if we have a slightly better record there than Japan does. Certainly ours is not much worse.

Then there's the matter of success at events other than marathons and half marathons where the US has much more success than Japan. If we somehow had a system that produced tons more fast marathoners would the cost be a lot less success in most other events and if so how desirable or undesirable would that be?

Sorta makes our Marathon Project down in AZ look like Sh!tt

Standard Setter wrote:

I don't think Galen has ever lost to a Japanese marathoner in a marathon.

Jimmbo wrote:

Could Galen have finished in the top 10?

Osako whipped Galen's ass in Chicago and it was not the year when he ran 2:09 or whatever it was. Osako managed 2:05 high and third place. Japan clearly has the best system and culture for distance running and I don't understand why we can't implement something similar. It doesn't take much to give a bunch of kids with some talent a 20hr a week job with decent pay and free gear. Supposedly Masaki Sakuda in 14th place and sub 2:08 was only a 15min 5k guy in high school. Incredible.

sub sub elite local hobby jogger wrote:

jjkhhhh wrote:

This is some humble pie for American distance running. We need a better system.

Well your country as a whole has to give a crap. They Japanese train for these distances when they are young, have a strong coaching and support system, and have corporations sponsor professional teams after university. Imagine if all the work the USA put into supporting beer league softball was put into marathon running.

Yes and other factors include a culture of discipline in respect. They actually respect teachers in Japan and understand what hard work actually is.