Japanese coach who got destroyed at Hakone brags about his guy running 13:09 at BU

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3 months ago 02/01/2024 11:26pm EST

From Brett Larner:

Translator's note: Not a single athlete coached by Hara has ever made a World Championships or Olympic team. Part of the context of his comments was a statement by Atsushi Fujita, head coach of 2023 Hakone winner Komazawa University, after losing to Aoyama Gakuin this year. "It's disappointing to lose," Fujita told reporters after the race, "but we're thinking about more than just Hakone." Almost immediately after Hara's comments were public, Komazawa's Keita Sato ran 13:09.45, an indoor 5000 m national record and 2nd-fastest-ever time by a Japanese man, at the Boston University John Thomas Classic.

japanrunningnews.blogspot.com

Aoyama Gakuin University Head Coach Hara: "The Hakone Ekiden is Not About the Olympics"

"This year is an Olympic year, but is the Hakone Ekiden really helping Japanese athletics develop?" "Students are not running the Hakone Eki...

Link:japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2024/02/...

Personally I'd rather have the Hakonen win. Seriously. The average Japanese guy who makes the Olypmics gets destroyed. It kind of reminds me of an NCAA football coach who loses in the championship game bragging that they have more NFL players.

3 months ago 02/02/2024 2:56am EST

re: former d1 coach

It's worth noting that Keita Sato only turned 20yo last week. He ran 27:28 for 10,000 in November (& ran 3:37 for 1500 at 17yo). He's a huge prospect and also due to line up in the 2 Miles at Millrose.

Apart from Nico Young (1.5 years older), no-one else in those 2 BU races who ran faster than Sato was born in the 2000s.

3 months ago 02/02/2024 4:32am EST

re: former d1 coach

Not just your regular Japanese coach to be fair -

worldathletics.org

Atsushi FUJITA | Profile | World Athletics

Atsushi FUJITA, Japan

Link:worldathletics.org/athletes/japan/atsu...

It sounds like he's aiming to peak his coachee for the Olympics and committing heresy by saying the Ekiden would have been a nice to have rather than a necessity. To each their own.

3 months ago 02/02/2024 11:52am EST

re: Go Laura!

Go Laura! wrote:
It's worth noting that Keita Sato only turned 20yo last week. He ran 27:28 for 10,000 in November (& ran 3:37 for 1500 at 17yo). He's a huge prospect and also due to line up in the 2 Miles at Millrose.
Apart from Nico Young (1.5 years older), no-one else in those 2 BU races who ran faster than Sato was born in the 2000s.

Well said. We're looking at the first Japanese man to break 13 minutes in the 5000 here... He'll surpass the achievements of Suguru Osako before he retires.

3 months ago 02/02/2024 11:57am EST

re: young prodigy

… of course @ BU .. lol.

3 months ago 02/02/2024 1:26pm EST

re: NOT

NOT wrote:
… of course @ BU .. lol.

Yeah, not sure why he's bragging about what's a 13:22.00 performance on any other track.

3 months ago 02/02/2024 4:46pm EST

re: Go Laura!

Go Laura! wrote:
It's worth noting that Keita Sato only turned 20yo last week. He ran 27:28 for 10,000 in November (& ran 3:37 for 1500 at 17yo). He's a huge prospect and also due to line up in the 2 Miles at Millrose.
Apart from Nico Young (1.5 years older), no-one else in those 2 BU races who ran faster than Sato was born in the 2000s.

oh my god that's nuts has any American ever had that kind of range at that age? Kessler ran 3:34 at 18 and 7:39 at 19, but no 5ks of note afaik. Hocker ran 3:31 at 19/20 and ~13:08 at 20 (I think), but I don't think he'd be close to 27:28.

3 months ago 02/02/2024 4:57pm EST

re: Peach Pit

Peach Pit wrote:
Go Laura! wrote:
It's worth noting that Keita Sato only turned 20yo last week. He ran 27:28 for 10,000 in November (& ran 3:37 for 1500 at 17yo). He's a huge prospect and also due to line up in the 2 Miles at Millrose.
Apart from Nico Young (1.5 years older), no-one else in those 2 BU races who ran faster than Sato was born in the 2000s.
oh my god that's nuts has any American ever had that kind of range at that age? Kessler ran 3:34 at 18 and 7:39 at 19, but no 5ks of note afaik. Hocker ran 3:31 at 19/20 and ~13:08 at 20 (I think), but I don't think he'd be close to 27:28.

Pretty much every 13:08 guy would be close to 27:28 if they ran one in decent conditions. See Webb for an example of a 1500m guy with blistering speed running a 10k. It is just very few guys run 10ks…

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