It's not just long distance running, but many other sports like competitive climbing where the Japanese absolutely dominate. Us Asians have known the secret sauce for a long time now: ACTUAL true discipline and relentless hard work. A lot of my westerner friends think they work hard, but when pushed, I don't think any of them actually know what working hard really is.
It really shows in sports like shooting and archery. Many sports are biased on genetics, where Asians are disadvantaged in strength and stature. But when a sport depends on sheer willpower and time commitment, Asians dominate.
A lot of burn outs on those High School / University kids running track. As you say, those that get through it are hard and fast AF, but most of the others never run again, even just casually, as they're sick of it and basically have PTSD. "The Way of The Runner" by Finn is an interesting read.
That's still true, but another trend is ocurring. Nowadays there're some famous youtubers who is former university runner. they influence those who running track and Ekiden in young age to keep running. Additionaly Kawauchi was not a professional runner at the beginning of his career and also make others who couldn't join professional teams to continue running.
For me, whenever someone asks, 'Why is Country A so good at Sport X?' The answer almost always seems to be that....................... "a significant number of people in Country A actively participate in Sport X."
I think watching Yuki Kawauchi winning the Boston marathon is my favorite running TH-cam video. Partly because the commentators are so clueless. Recommended.
_"between 1990 and 2012 the average height of the top 100 men marathoners in a given year decreased from 5 feet 8.1 inches to 5 feet 6.9 inches."_ The average height of a Japanese man is 1.72 meters (5'7"), U.K. 177.5, or 5 feet, 10 inches so about 68% of japanese are around 5 7 versus 45% anglos so maybe 50% more japanese people in the desired height range. _"A lower body-mass index (BMI) is important for longer races, such as marathons. For example, the optimal BMI for male marathon runners is between 19 and 20."_ of course Based on BMI, more than 70% of US adults are considered overweight or obese. versus Japan which has the lowest percentage of obesity and overweight. with about 20% of overweight (25≤BMI
Interesting but the thing is back in the 80s all of this was true but the UK was about as good as the Japanese at the marathon back then. Jake mentioned it in the video there were a lot more men in the UK training high mileage back then than now. That's the main difference. Also I'm not sure about obesity. After all someone training hard enough to reach his potential in the marathon is not going to be overweight.
Does the BMI even statistically matter here? It’s not a trait you’re born with, if you’re training for a marathon your BMI will move to where it’s supposed to be unless you have some appetite disorder. + Kenyans are even faster marathoners, with less ST and more FTb fibers. There’s a published paper suggesting Muscle-Tendon architecture plays a bigger role here, but I just think there’s much more to be understood about the biochemistry and mechanics of running before we can just answer this question.
I was again running a half marathon and your new video poped up in my watch while I was running. I thought to myself, " what a great timing for a boost ". And I braked my previous record by 5 minutes at the end. So thanks I guess :D
Great video with excellent points. I didn’t expect you to mention the Hakone so thank you for bringing it up! ‘Run with the Wind’ was an anime that educated me about Japan’s obsession with long distance running and the Hakone Ekiden! A highly recommended watch for those who love running and anime.
Very informative. It’s worth noting that in the West, many world-class endurance athletes participate in triathlons or are professional cyclists, whereas these sports are less common in Japan.
They jog... a lot! Which signifies great aerobic base and not running to hard. My friend, Nobby, was a Japanese elite corporate coach and he said they jog super easy a lot.
Here in Columbus, Ohio and have been watching all of your videos! I played College Soccer so I use to run a ton! Now I’m a Hobby Jogger getting back into it. Loving your running theory, “Just Put in the Miles!” That’s what I have been doing everyday after work since 6/3/24.
Good luck in Fukuoka! In the early 90’s, I was an exchange student at Sophia University. They didn’t have a good distance running program, so I joined the ski team instead. As you can imagine, the ski training was waaayyyy more involved than in the west. 😂
You forgot what is in my opinion the most important reason as to why they’re so fast: The Japanese mentality is just different. Part of my teenage years were spent in Japan. Without going into further detail about bukatsu culture and the Japanese collectivist mindset that doesn’t allow slacking off, it is the inherent belief that you’re not tired until you think you are. “Ganbaru” is an essential part in that. There is no downtime or “recovery” you go at breakneck speed all the time, be it in training or with your approach to training. It’s an ingrained habit that you never shake off to push beyond healthy measures and sanity because you’re still standing after all. It rubbed off on me as well and while it has tons of benefits it comes with its (massive) downsides too. You soldier through insane training/work pain and hardship, you simply endure and by that, the chances to burn out, injure yourself and drop out are incredibly high. I’ve run myself close to burnout too and it never occurred to me that I was suffering I just thought that I have to try harder until I was literally screamed at to finally back off, go home, get some proper sleep and then dial the mileage down a little to recover. I still felt like a failure. In the same fashion, Japanese people do not know fatigue, they soldier through it. Japan has many fast runners, but many dropouts and burnouts as well. It’s a test of your resilience, be it mentally or physically. Take the Japanese way with caution, it’s ruthless survival of the fittest (team). As a side note: the reason why there are so many fast runners in Japan is the same reason as to why they overwork themselves in their jobs and karoshi (death by overwork) is an issue. It’s a very interesting topic that is absolutely worth to be analyzed in depth.
Can’t say I’d recommend the “go hard and don’t worry about burnout approach”. Those that made it and are crazy fast as a result are in the limelight. But how many people burned out in the process? We don’t have the numbers, but I suspect it’s reasonably high. Also as a cyclist in Japan I’ve noticed similar characteristics with Japanese cyclists. They are craaazy fast at climbing up hills, less so when it comes to sprinting or time trialing on the flats. I’ve only met a few cyclists here, but one already said he struggled with mental health issues due to burnout and has toned things back down a lot ever since.
Great video and talking point. Can't deny the massive depth but I never quite understood why the very best ones can't seemingly push on to the very highest levels. Looking at this year's world HM men's list the highest Japanese runner is only 82nd at 60:41 and indeed Emile Cairess from GB is higher with a 60:01. Yet there are 100 barely a minute apart as 100th Japanese is 62:09. At marathon better but best still only 22nd with a 2:05:12. Maybe partly because mainly focused on the domestic Ekiden races?
still too much money in the corporate scene. Japan still has that genetically inferior mindset/convienent excuse. Meanwhile the Africans who have run in Japan on scholarship are all like, you beat us in college when you were "genetically inferior", why don't you try taking better care of your bodies and train like us. Japan really really needs some African coaches. The biggest critic of Japanese training was Yuki which is a big reason why he kept his day job in his prime.
Cheers mate! I’ll make another video at some point looking at the other side of it - ie. why are the Japanese not as fast as the world’s top runners. But to sum up my opinion, I think the Japanese have just maximised their talent potential over the half/full marathon. Their 1500/5k records are comparatively very slow compared to the rest of the world, so that lack of top-end speed is a going to be a massive limiting factor for running the paces needed to break 2:05 for the marathon. There’s also the sad truth that 300 Kenyans have been popped over the past decade, while (to my knowledge) no Japanese athletes were caught doping. Plus throw in the environmental factors like lack of altitude spots & off-road surfaces to train on, and the Japanese are at a major disadvantage. And it’s true that the focus on ekiden racing (over competing internationally in the marathon) could play a part too. There’s a lot at play so it’s hard to articulate it all in a comment - definitely a full length vid needed!
Met Yuki at the Vancouver BMO Marathon Finish Line, and I even got a photo with him. Yuki "The Citizen Runner", paced the 2h HM group, he has the male record time for the BMO Marathon.
There is a great book called way of the runner that looks at this question and the author concludes that the massive cultural importance placed on the Ekiden makes Japanese prioritize running more than in a lot of other places, explains both the high mileage of the teenagers and the existence of corporate teams.
I just watched to Sota video and was surprised (considering the level you're at) that you aren't getting bloods done to ensure there aren't any deficencies. Any plans to get them done in the future (& an easy video!)
Yeah it’s probably a good idea, I should look into that. It’s just tryna sort anything like that in Japan (esp. with the language barrier!) is a complete nightmare so my usual approach is to just try soldier on through it… maybe this time I might really have to be “smarter” instead of working harder 🤯
Part of the reason why Japanese have tons of incredibly fast long distance runners is their diet, which is considered one of the healthiest diet in the world.
Asian and African has longer legs to torso ratio. So people who build for running structurally is more common of the population. The legs basically had to carry less weight by ratio.
Japan the spiritual home of the marathon.Is there a secret if so it I'd go for a numbers game stating the college system is geared towards the distance racing, even back when i was running we all understood that Japanese marathon running was on another level.Rember these guys are literally full time athletes which you do mention.A factor is the mileage but it does cause a burn out of many athletes, & it is a thing that they have done which seems to me forever. So i definitely believe it to be the college system, well that's my take on it.
Hey, coming from a runner who has had races completely derailed from chronic reflux do you have any advice? (I have Barretts) I have tried all gels available in Australia (most give reflux) and would love some kind of advice
Taking a heartburn liquid pre-run massively helped me in the past. In the U.K. we have Gaviscon (I’m sure there are equivalents abroad) and that neutralises the stomach acid. Also avoid stuff like coffee pre-run can improve symptoms
Lots of high quality stuff here. I would say the biggest difference is that fact that in the US the college system focuses on the 5k-10k compared to Japans half/marathon. For example, Japans national record for the 5k is 13:37 and 27:09 for the 10k. A 13:37 probably won't make the NCAA champs in outdoor track. The current NCAA record for the 5k is 12:57 and 26:52 for the 10k. Further has Japan ever won an Olympic medal on the track? Grant Fisher got bronze in both the 5-10k in Paris. Also his 10k American record is 26:40. His 5k is 12:51. Japan currently doesn't have anyone close to being sub 13 for the 5k. So the bigger question I think is: What would the USA half marathon/marathon times be if the NCAA had a half/full marathon. And how fast could Japan be if their college kids focused on the 5k/10k?
Everything’s on runnet.jp (you can use a Google translate plugin) but entry for races closes so early here - hopefully there’s still some options for Dec!
My theory is that they neglect the speed-endurance training needed to be competitive at the world level. For example, Suguru Osako holds their national records at 3,000m and 5,000m (and a couple of years ago held the marathon record, too). But his breakthrough came when he moved to Portland, Oregon to train with the Nike Oregon Project, which I suspect emphasized speed-endurance more than the programs he ran for in Japan (e.g., Waseda University).
The reason the Japanese are so much quicker than us is cultural. They value a person’s ability to endure and suffer, and the honour that arises from successfully doing so. Has always been thus. Here’s a link of the late Clive James demonstrating it in the context of some crazy Japanese game shows of the 80s th-cam.com/video/i9MDpf57r6A/w-d-xo.htmlsi=DC1EnvoDrLC4WkVA
I think diet is another factor. The presence of lots of small, community gardens contributes to a very healthy diet and relatively low consumption of processed foods. That, plus the physical activity built into the daily lives of Japanese (e.g., being able to walk or bike to the train station, post office, or doctor's office), probably in large part explains the near absence of obesity in Japan. And that means there's a larger pool of good runners. BTW, I too am looking forward to Hakone. The third and fifth legs run right through my neighborhood here in Chigasaki.
Actually there are very limited altitude training spots in Japan (and no one trains there full time). Almost every pro runner is based at sea level which could be a factor in why they can’t compete with the East Africans
Yuki kawauchi the 2018 Boston marathon winner!
Running royalty 🙇♂️ That’s easily one of my favourite races of all time!
The legend who took all the Kenyans by surprise!
I was there! Awful awful weather. He was the only elite to have trained in those weather conditions.
Kawauchi-san is the proof of your arguement that Japan has much more pedigree. Boston 2018 was legendary
@ absolutely 2018 was historic! 50% of elite field was DNF with 1,000s of main field also DNF
“Apart from… just feeling completely fucked… this race is going great” 😂😂😂
It's not just long distance running, but many other sports like competitive climbing where the Japanese absolutely dominate. Us Asians have known the secret sauce for a long time now: ACTUAL true discipline and relentless hard work. A lot of my westerner friends think they work hard, but when pushed, I don't think any of them actually know what working hard really is.
It really shows in sports like shooting and archery.
Many sports are biased on genetics, where Asians are disadvantaged in strength and stature. But when a sport depends on sheer willpower and time commitment, Asians dominate.
Cope, Europeans are way better at climbing, stop talking out of ur ass
This guy is serious good vibes man
I had a chance to interview Ed Goddard a while ago. Love that guy
Running next to an absolute legend Kawauchi-san! That had to have been an incredible moment!
135th 1hour 5mins marathon is crazy here in Philippines you can win mostly win all half marathon
You can be champion in Malaysia for each tournament in local category this year
A lot of burn outs on those High School / University kids running track. As you say, those that get through it are hard and fast AF, but most of the others never run again, even just casually, as they're sick of it and basically have PTSD.
"The Way of The Runner" by Finn is an interesting read.
Very true! And yeah great book - that’s what originally got me interested in Japan
Thanks for the book recommendation I just picked up a used copy.
That's still true, but another trend is ocurring. Nowadays there're some famous youtubers who is former university runner. they influence those who running track and Ekiden in young age to keep running. Additionaly Kawauchi was not a professional runner at the beginning of his career and also make others who couldn't join professional teams to continue running.
So just like any other highly competitive activity in the western world
For me, whenever someone asks, 'Why is Country A so good at Sport X?'
The answer almost always seems to be that....................... "a significant number of people in Country A actively participate in Sport X."
It’s a fact, but most want to see that there is a magical pill.
This. Japanese road running is so deep. But track running is not as deep as UK, US, Norway, …. No big secret.
Lots of people in the UK run, probably more than in Japan.
Another great video! The stats made me humble and train harder!😁 Thanks for the video, Jake!
Don't get injured bud! You're smashing it at the moment!
Train harder, no smarter. Enough said.
I think watching Yuki Kawauchi winning the Boston marathon is my favorite running TH-cam video. Partly because the commentators are so clueless. Recommended.
_"between 1990 and 2012 the average height of the top 100 men marathoners in a given year decreased from 5 feet 8.1 inches to 5 feet 6.9 inches."_
The average height of a Japanese man is 1.72 meters (5'7"),
U.K. 177.5, or 5 feet, 10 inches
so about 68% of japanese are around 5 7 versus 45% anglos so maybe 50% more japanese people in the desired height range.
_"A lower body-mass index (BMI) is important for longer races, such as marathons. For example, the optimal BMI for male marathon runners is between 19 and 20."_
of course Based on BMI, more than 70% of US adults are considered overweight or obese. versus Japan which has the lowest percentage of obesity and overweight. with about 20% of overweight (25≤BMI
I thought I came with the stats but jheeeez you’ve put me to shame! Cheers for the info, seems like it pretty much backs up what I’d observed
Interesting but the thing is back in the 80s all of this was true but the UK was about as good as the Japanese at the marathon back then. Jake mentioned it in the video there were a lot more men in the UK training high mileage back then than now. That's the main difference. Also I'm not sure about obesity. After all someone training hard enough to reach his potential in the marathon is not going to be overweight.
Highest IQ TH-cam comment I have ever seen
Does the BMI even statistically matter here? It’s not a trait you’re born with, if you’re training for a marathon your BMI will move to where it’s supposed to be unless you have some appetite disorder.
+ Kenyans are even faster marathoners, with less ST and more FTb fibers. There’s a published paper suggesting Muscle-Tendon architecture plays a bigger role here, but I just think there’s much more to be understood about the biochemistry and mechanics of running before we can just answer this question.
Love this video ❤❤❤
I was again running a half marathon and your new video poped up in my watch while I was running. I thought to myself, " what a great timing for a boost ". And I braked my previous record by 5 minutes at the end. So thanks I guess :D
Great video with excellent points. I didn’t expect you to mention the Hakone so thank you for bringing it up!
‘Run with the Wind’ was an anime that educated me about Japan’s obsession with long distance running and the Hakone Ekiden! A highly recommended watch for those who love running and anime.
I’m not usually a fan of anime but have actually watched that one and thought it was unreal! 🎌
Japanese/American runner here. Loved your video! Following along for the BTS on Hakone Ekiden
you're the one who introduced me to japanese running culture!
Great video mate! Keep it up!
0:41 Impeccable American Accent 😂
Great video as always! That's so nice that you had an opportunity to chat with Yuki Kawauchi!
Love the content. Keep it coming.
Very informative. It’s worth noting that in the West, many world-class endurance athletes participate in triathlons or are professional cyclists, whereas these sports are less common in Japan.
Awesome channel!
'Train Harder, Not Smarter' Million$ T-shirt right there mate :)
The merch line is inevitable 💸
@@RanToJapan Excellent! :)
not always true though lol
Insanely good videos such a shame only one per week but the best time as always !!!
Ah I’ve gotta keep the anticipation! (but basically it takes a whole week just to edit)
Another great story, well done Jake.
They jog... a lot! Which signifies great aerobic base and not running to hard. My friend, Nobby, was a Japanese elite corporate coach and he said they jog super easy a lot.
Seko was asked what was the most important part of his training... he said "jogging"! He would jog 8 min miles for the majority of his base phase.
Wow, great to know about their jogging, but 8min/mile is definitely not jogging in my book.
"Us?" speak for yourself. "Hold my beer" - Callum Hawkins
He might wanna take that beer back… over 50 Japanese guys have run quicker than him 😂
@@RanToJapan he won the beer fair and square. he was upto his 3rd when the first japanese crossed the finish line
Love your positive vibes... Despite you being in pain😅🙈. Hope your doing well and things improve. Keep it up 👍
You are making some very entertaining running content. I would like to visit Japan, but moving there is a totally different story.
so here for the channel blow up pending! so deserved!
Your content is bonkers and you only have 9 videos! I need more!
Here in Columbus, Ohio and have been watching all of your videos! I played College Soccer so I use to run a ton! Now I’m a Hobby Jogger getting back into it. Loving your running theory, “Just Put in the Miles!” That’s what I have been doing everyday after work since 6/3/24.
Never clicked so fast in my life
Hey mate I love your videos. Thanks for the continous motivation.
🙌🙌🙌
agree! even running casually in yoyogi park, everyone was so fast!!!
PB or bust!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 💪💪 You got this!!!
Wow ! YUKI making a guest appearance 🤩
not shrek on the saxophone in the back😂🤷🏽♂️
You should do a fun video where you try and get a Strava segment somewhere in Japan
Love the Hakone Ekiden! 🎉
Good luck in Fukuoka! In the early 90’s, I was an exchange student at Sophia University. They didn’t have a good distance running program, so I joined the ski team instead. As you can imagine, the ski training was waaayyyy more involved than in the west. 😂
Funny. Norway, Finland and Sweden - aren't they the West?
Great video you got a new Subscriber! why don't you have a million subs! great value and very entertaining 👌😎🏃♂🤜
You forgot what is in my opinion the most important reason as to why they’re so fast:
The Japanese mentality is just different. Part of my teenage years were spent in Japan. Without going into further detail about bukatsu culture and the Japanese collectivist mindset that doesn’t allow slacking off, it is the inherent belief that you’re not tired until you think you are. “Ganbaru” is an essential part in that. There is no downtime or “recovery” you go at breakneck speed all the time, be it in training or with your approach to training.
It’s an ingrained habit that you never shake off to push beyond healthy measures and sanity because you’re still standing after all. It rubbed off on me as well and while it has tons of benefits it comes with its (massive) downsides too. You soldier through insane training/work pain and hardship, you simply endure and by that, the chances to burn out, injure yourself and drop out are incredibly high. I’ve run myself close to burnout too and it never occurred to me that I was suffering I just thought that I have to try harder until I was literally screamed at to finally back off, go home, get some proper sleep and then dial the mileage down a little to recover. I still felt like a failure.
In the same fashion, Japanese people do not know fatigue, they soldier through it.
Japan has many fast runners, but many dropouts and burnouts as well. It’s a test of your resilience, be it mentally or physically.
Take the Japanese way with caution, it’s ruthless survival of the fittest (team).
As a side note: the reason why there are so many fast runners in Japan is the same reason as to why they overwork themselves in their jobs and karoshi (death by overwork) is an issue.
It’s a very interesting topic that is absolutely worth to be analyzed in depth.
Can’t say I’d recommend the “go hard and don’t worry about burnout approach”.
Those that made it and are crazy fast as a result are in the limelight. But how many people burned out in the process?
We don’t have the numbers, but I suspect it’s reasonably high.
Also as a cyclist in Japan I’ve noticed similar characteristics with Japanese cyclists. They are craaazy fast at climbing up hills, less so when it comes to sprinting or time trialing on the flats.
I’ve only met a few cyclists here, but one already said he struggled with mental health issues due to burnout and has toned things back down a lot ever since.
Great video, dude! We’ll be in Japan soon enough. Collab ahead 😉😂
Ay cheers! Yeah for sure, hit me up when you’re here 🎌
Great videos. I started Marathon running while living in Japan. It s been life changing! Try the Oiso marathon, great view on Fuji
Great video and talking point. Can't deny the massive depth but I never quite understood why the very best ones can't seemingly push on to the very highest levels. Looking at this year's world HM men's list the highest Japanese runner is only 82nd at 60:41 and indeed Emile Cairess from GB is higher with a 60:01. Yet there are 100 barely a minute apart as 100th Japanese is 62:09. At marathon better but best still only 22nd with a 2:05:12. Maybe partly because mainly focused on the domestic Ekiden races?
they don't take PEDs thats why
still too much money in the corporate scene.
Japan still has that genetically inferior mindset/convienent excuse. Meanwhile the Africans who have run in Japan on scholarship are all like, you beat us in college when you were "genetically inferior", why don't you try taking better care of your bodies and train like us.
Japan really really needs some African coaches.
The biggest critic of Japanese training was Yuki which is a big reason why he kept his day job in his prime.
Cheers mate! I’ll make another video at some point looking at the other side of it - ie. why are the Japanese not as fast as the world’s top runners. But to sum up my opinion, I think the Japanese have just maximised their talent potential over the half/full marathon. Their 1500/5k records are comparatively very slow compared to the rest of the world, so that lack of top-end speed is a going to be a massive limiting factor for running the paces needed to break 2:05 for the marathon. There’s also the sad truth that 300 Kenyans have been popped over the past decade, while (to my knowledge) no Japanese athletes were caught doping. Plus throw in the environmental factors like lack of altitude spots & off-road surfaces to train on, and the Japanese are at a major disadvantage. And it’s true that the focus on ekiden racing (over competing internationally in the marathon) could play a part too.
There’s a lot at play so it’s hard to articulate it all in a comment - definitely a full length vid needed!
Just a casual sub 70min HM after back to back 250K week. An extremely normal Sunday!
Btw, your race singlet looks awesome! What's the brand?
Ahah standard procedure 🙄
It’s a Japanese brand called Eldoreso - their kits are unreal aren’t they! Not sure if they ship internationally tho
Incredible stats for Japanese runners 😮
I really like the U.S. "bro" that you had at the start of the video. You should use him more often.
Met Yuki at the Vancouver BMO Marathon Finish Line, and I even got a photo with him. Yuki "The Citizen Runner", paced the 2h HM group, he has the male record time for the BMO Marathon.
Would love to see you do a Hakone Ekidan recap, since most of the races are spoken in Japanese
Came in when u wzre at like 10 k subs and just completed my first hm in 1h58! Love your vids!
It's Yuki!!!
“Trying to dial in a comfortable pace 3:15……”
Other than That -awesome video per usual
There is a great book called way of the runner that looks at this question and the author concludes that the massive cultural importance placed on the Ekiden makes Japanese prioritize running more than in a lot of other places, explains both the high mileage of the teenagers and the existence of corporate teams.
And that book inspired me to move here!
Your worst race is 30 minutes quicker than my best race 😂😂 Its seems like the japenese can run 👌 fair play.
Next to the East Africans the Japanese marathon runners are a close second. They also have the Ekiden competitions and they run for companies.
Quite insane that you are recording. What camera are you using
Insta360 go3 - weighs almost nothing so ideal for the head cam!
I just watched to Sota video and was surprised (considering the level you're at) that you aren't getting bloods done to ensure there aren't any deficencies. Any plans to get them done in the future (& an easy video!)
Yeah it’s probably a good idea, I should look into that. It’s just tryna sort anything like that in Japan (esp. with the language barrier!) is a complete nightmare so my usual approach is to just try soldier on through it… maybe this time I might really have to be “smarter” instead of working harder 🤯
Thank you to remind me to train harder; not smarter in my 40s.
Part of the reason why Japanese have tons of incredibly fast long distance runners is their diet, which is considered one of the healthiest diet in the world.
Look up Dave Bedford and Ron Hill for what we Brits used to do!
Hope that Aquiles stays safe!
Asian and African has longer legs to torso ratio. So people who build for running structurally is more common of the population. The legs basically had to carry less weight by ratio.
Callum Hawkins ran a half in 60mins in Japan that’s a good watch if you haven’t seen it
talk more about their training! that's the controllable factor. also, did you say a ton of them are getting paid full time just to race?
Give my 2nd vid a watch (“I lived with pro runners…”) I go into details there!
Yukiiiiii, what a magical moment.
I've always wanted to watch the hakone ekiden. Any idea where I can watch it in the UK and what time (GMT) it's on?
It’s only on Japan TV I’m afraid (called maybe VPN it?) and kicks off at 10pm GMT I think
Came for the running (I don't even run) stayed for the 'Merican accent. Out of curiosity, what do you do in Japan? I've always wanted to live there.
I’m on a scholarship program called Daiwa (it’s a connection between the UK and Japan)
Japan the spiritual home of the marathon.Is there a secret if so it I'd go for a numbers game stating the college system is geared towards the distance racing, even back when i was running we all understood that Japanese marathon running was on another level.Rember these guys are literally full time athletes which you do mention.A factor is the mileage but it does cause a burn out of many athletes, & it is a thing that they have done which seems to me forever.
So i definitely believe it to be the college system, well that's my take on it.
Yes, but I was talking about slalom/giant slalom, not Nordic skiing.
Hakone Ekiden ❤❤❤
insane depth
Hey, coming from a runner who has had races completely derailed from chronic reflux do you have any advice? (I have Barretts) I have tried all gels available in Australia (most give reflux) and would love some kind of advice
Taking a heartburn liquid pre-run massively helped me in the past. In the U.K. we have Gaviscon (I’m sure there are equivalents abroad) and that neutralises the stomach acid. Also avoid stuff like coffee pre-run can improve symptoms
Quando eu crescer, quero fazer uma corrida "ruim" igual essa, mas de Crocs 😂
Lots of high quality stuff here. I would say the biggest difference is that fact that in the US the college system focuses on the 5k-10k compared to Japans half/marathon. For example, Japans national record for the 5k is 13:37 and 27:09 for the 10k. A 13:37 probably won't make the NCAA champs in outdoor track. The current NCAA record for the 5k is 12:57 and 26:52 for the 10k. Further has Japan ever won an Olympic medal on the track?
Grant Fisher got bronze in both the 5-10k in Paris. Also his 10k American record is 26:40. His 5k is 12:51. Japan currently doesn't have anyone close to being sub 13 for the 5k. So the bigger question I think is: What would the USA half marathon/marathon times be if the NCAA had a half/full marathon. And how fast could Japan be if their college kids focused on the 5k/10k?
Might be interesting to find out the percentage drop out rate of high school runners once they enter the working world.
They have ekiden culture, but there are a XC race like in the Uk?
Nah XC is almost non-existent here
I wonder why they don't tend to feature as much at the European majors? Is it because the Ekiden is the pinnacle?
There’s so many fast marathon races within Japan that most runners see no need to travel abroad for racing
Hi Jake, where can I sing up for the races in Japan? I’ll be there in december and I want to run some. Thanks for your videos
Everything’s on runnet.jp (you can use a Google translate plugin) but entry for races closes so early here - hopefully there’s still some options for Dec!
Really makes me wonder why they're not dominating the top races and world records as much
My theory is that they neglect the speed-endurance training needed to be competitive at the world level. For example, Suguru Osako holds their national records at 3,000m and 5,000m (and a couple of years ago held the marathon record, too). But his breakthrough came when he moved to Portland, Oregon to train with the Nike Oregon Project, which I suspect emphasized speed-endurance more than the programs he ran for in Japan (e.g., Waseda University).
The reason the Japanese are so much quicker than us is cultural. They value a person’s ability to endure and suffer, and the honour that arises from successfully doing so. Has always been thus.
Here’s a link of the late Clive James demonstrating it in the context of some crazy Japanese game shows of the 80s
th-cam.com/video/i9MDpf57r6A/w-d-xo.htmlsi=DC1EnvoDrLC4WkVA
Pretty much guaranteed to have a kinder at Fukuoka after that:-)
Hopefully you can channel your inner Kawauchi🦾
Another great video thanks! Just curious do you know how they manage longer runs in terms of carbs intake? And how do you manage those? Thanks
Cheers, just gels and sports drinks - pretty standard (that’s what I do too)
@@RanToJapan Cool and do you follow the over 1h "rule"? So every run longer than 1 hour you take something in? Thanks again
@ I usually only fuel on runs of over 2 hours or long sessions. My daily easy runs are 1.5 hrs and I always do them fasted
@ Thanks!
I would dream of a 69 minute half marathoner and smash the local races 🤣🤣🤣
i had no idea running is so popular in japan
69 minutes, nice!
Good luck for Fukuoka.
I feel like Ekiden culture makes them stronger!!
whats the name of the background music 4.01
Sorry I have no idea - it’s just a generic 20 min copyright free soundtrack I downloaded!
It's 'Sthlm Sunset' by Ehrling. I recognised it on his videos from my beach club spotify mix! haha
I think diet is another factor. The presence of lots of small, community gardens contributes to a very healthy diet and relatively low consumption of processed foods. That, plus the physical activity built into the daily lives of Japanese (e.g., being able to walk or bike to the train station, post office, or doctor's office), probably in large part explains the near absence of obesity in Japan. And that means there's a larger pool of good runners. BTW, I too am looking forward to Hakone. The third and fifth legs run right through my neighborhood here in Chigasaki.
yuki!🔥
Where do you go to sign up for these races? Just curious
(I’ve plateaued hard in sprints, considering jumping to distance)
All the Japanese races are through runnet.jp
Maybe they train at higher altitude to make their bodies work harder. That's what Eluid Kipchoge did, and a lot of other Kenyans.
Actually there are very limited altitude training spots in Japan (and no one trains there full time). Almost every pro runner is based at sea level which could be a factor in why they can’t compete with the East Africans
How are you able to talk during a run? Respect!
How do you do that map graphic of you running? So cool!
It’s through Strava premium you can get the live map for any activity! Very handy 🔥
Strava subscription
Curious, have you ever run using barefoot or minimalist shoes?
Nah never, I haven’t heard the best things about that!
what camera did you use to record
GoPro for vlogging, insta360 go3 for running