Proof: Japan > USA? All-star Ivy League alums w Olympic finalist, 2 13:30s, and a 3:35 only seeded 11th in Ekiden

wow, can honestly say I didnt know that

Wow, maybe one day a Japanese runner will sneak under 13.

10k times are much harder to come by in the USA. The Ivy guys have one of the fastest 5k averages. I bet they do better than 11th.

Consider This wrote:

Wow, maybe one day a Japanese runner will sneak under 13.

POD

hmm legs between 5 and 10.2k. Merber probably is not close to 3:35 now, but I bet they finish higher than 11

Yea the best team in the field has a 5-man average of 13:46 and the Ivy team is 13:51. Experience will hurt them in these kinds of races (plus probably not focusing on this season completely), but I'd be surprised if they weren't in the top 8.

Japan > USA?

USA won 25 medals in Moscow.

Now tell us how Japan did.

Case closed.

Japan is not that good at distance running. They have zero competitive world class distance runners. How is that good? Clearly this is a geisha/submissive female obsession masked by a proclaimed love of male Japanese runners. Or maybe it is a combination of those two things

bump

Consider This wrote:

Wow, maybe one day a Japanese runner will sneak under 13.

Brojos have no response for this, but will continue to be all up Japan's @ss.

Proof japan > USA .......what a bunch of tools. Yeahh brojos! Go japan! Terrible...

fu wrote:

Japan is not that good at distance running. They have zero competitive world class distance runners. How is that good? Clearly this is a geisha/submissive female obsession masked by a proclaimed love of male Japanese runners. Or maybe it is a combination of those two things

11th? Unless Brett said it, I don't believe it.

Red Cross-over cable wrote:

11th? Unless Brett said it, I don't believe it.

Dammit Brett, why have you forsaken US.

Japan v. US Born Records

1500m - 3:37.4 - 3:30.5

Mile - 3:58.89 - 3:46.9

5000m - 13:13 - 12:55

10000m - 27:35 - 26:48

Half Marathon - 1:00:25 - 59:43

Marathon - 2:06:16 - 2:06:17

The US times are vastly superior in every distance but the marathon were Japan is better by a single second. The gulf in quality is so wide that the Japanese record holder would likely struggle to even make the average USA Olympic team in every event but the Marathon.

I think it is fair to say that Japanese running is deep with 13:30 to 14:00 5000m guys but I think it is incorrect to say Japanese running is good when their current top runners might struggle to win NCAA titles.

Well considering each leg is at least 5k and merber's 5k PR is only 14:01, I could see how they would be seeded 11th. Additionally, the 10k PRs of the team probably lose them some time. I don't really think this is a best representation of the US over these distances although it would be hard to say what the best "university" team would be. I imagine it would more than likely involve some true 10k guys.

Also, I don't understand the whole "ivy" thing for two reasons. First, guys who aren't ivy league have competed in this ekiden for the US previously. Second, why does it even need to be an "ivy" ekiden? I don't really understand why that is a credential.

I imagine this team will more than likely beat its seed but I think we have to remember that this is a major race for the japanese and for these young americans, it is something fun for them to do in the fall when they have just started their build ups. Merber was hurt most of the summer and was building up his strength.

Japan is about 127 million people versus U.S. 300 million; you'd expect there to be more genetic outliers/top performers in the bigger population.

What the brojos try to argue -- sometimes inartfully -- is that Japan has a surprising amount of distance *depth*, as opposed to talent at the very top.

That having been said, a top-seeded D1 XC team would probably beat this "ivy league" combo at essentially any relay or team-scored event. Wisconsin is mostly north american boys right? I wonder how they'd do.

It is because those Japanese guys are SO thin, their upper body weighs like 15 pounds...

Japan>USA because a group of their non-pro runners is better than a group of our non-pro runners.

Sounds logical.