Who else is pumped about seeing Kawauchi run in the US on Sunday?

Bueller?

I am too.

Me. Though he sh#t the bed in Moscow.

I will not be rooting for him to beat Meb. I will be rooting for nobody to beat Mr. Keflezghi.

Yup, I think it's great he's running it. Will be following him. I'm more Euro-oriented so I'll be rooting for Meucci and Straneo..and Ana Dulce too! Meucci did very well earlier this year in the NY half so I'm thinking he might place high. I'm wondering if him and Kawauchi might work together.

I for one fail to understand the LRC fascination with Japanese related running. What is so exciting? They're second rate distance runners. Just like us. Worse than us if you consider mid-D.

worst poster wrote:

I for one fail to understand the LRC fascination with Japanese related running. What is so exciting?

they aren't Africans, and Kawauchi is a badazz basically going at it alone and still beating the guys with sponsorship

worst poster wrote:

I for one fail to understand the LRC fascination with Japanese related running. What is so exciting? They're second rate distance runners. Just like us. Worse than us if you consider mid-D.

The Japanese love long distance running and follow it a lot more than Americans do. I for one can appreciate that.

If it wasn't for the recent spike in Kenyan and Ethiopian 2:03s and 2:04s, the Japanese would be very competitive. Time will tell what happens.

BTW, Fujiwara won the Tokyo marathon in 2010, which is a major marathon, so I wouldn't call that second rate.

NO.

Definitely. It's nice to see top Japanese people getting out and racing in big races. Hope he has a good one. He's a role model for all American distance runners.

This says Kawauchi has already run 8 marathons this year.

He was a candidate for the 2012 Olympics, but Kawauchi's last chance to distinguish himself was again in Tokyo, where he ran 2:12:51 in heat, a performance he labeled “disgraceful” and which caused him to shave his head in shame.

8 runners in NYC need to give Kawauchi the Brian Sell tribute-

I saw him running some downhills in Central Park yesterday. Dude does not take it easy, not even two days before a marathon. And he would probably fit in your pocket-- a tiny, tiny dude. I'm excited to see how he does tomorrow.