A foolish runner
(事前準備：半袖ランシャツ・帽子・ラン風ズボン、運動靴着用、「比較表」掲示)
A week before the Tokyo Marathon in February this year, I participated in another popular running event held at Ohme city in Tokyo.
It was a chilly day, I stood at the start line together with some 12 thousands runners who would compete in the 30km road race.
（報知スポーツの１面記事を見せる）
A guest starter, Miss Ai Sugiyama, not my daughter but a world famous tennis player, gave the signal to start.
My target was to break 2 hours. I ran the first half of the uphill course at a steady pace of 4 minutes per km and passed the middle point in 60 minutes 46 seconds.
Afterward I gradually dropped my pace down with fatigue. I had to fight against a strong desire for a rest, however I could manage to keep running thanks to many cheers of encouragement along the road. Finally I was able to cross the finish line at 5 minute behind my target time.
Finished the race I found my name on a bulletin board saying I was placed the second in my age group of 60 years old and above.
Now let’s analyze my race.
This is a comparison of time for the top two runners. As you can see I was overtaken by him at the last 5 km. I ran this leg in 22 minutes 10 seconds, while he did in 18 minutes 35 seconds. What a wonderful last spurt he put on!
But just a moment! Isn’t it too fast for the over 60 year runnner to run?
Can you believe it. Yes you can, but I can’t.
So I looked in the booklet of the full marathon ranking by age and found his name with a record of 3 hours 28 minutes that I don’t think it possible for him to break even 20 minutes in 5 km running.
Then how could he achieve such a good result? I guessed he had not run, instead his younger and faster replacement had done. So I claimed to the organizing committee for the marathon race that he might be against the rule.
Two weeks later, I got a phone call from a member of the committee.
He replied me;
“After discussions about the case of the false participant, we have concluded that you are the right person to get the first prize. Congratulations!”
There were big differences between the first place and the second, not only to have a gold medal but also to get a digital camera or nothing.
（金メダルと賞品のデジタルカメラのケースを見せる）
As far as this unqualified or disqualified runner is concerned,
I wish him being a respectable athlete not a foolish runner.
（「比較表」の数字をはぎ取って下に隠れていた文字を見せる）
Toastmasters!
(事前準備：半袖ランシャツ・帽子・ラン風ズボン、運動靴着用、「比較表」掲示)
A week before the Tokyo Marathon in February this year, I participated in another popular running event held at Ohme city in Tokyo.
It was a chilly day, I stood at the start line together with some 12 thousands runners who would compete in the 30km road race.
（報知スポーツの１面記事を見せる）
A guest starter, Miss Ai Sugiyama, not my daughter but a world famous tennis player, gave the signal to start.
My target was to break 2 hours. I ran the first half of the uphill course at a steady pace of 4 minutes per km and passed the middle point in 60 minutes 46 seconds.
Afterward I gradually dropped my pace down with fatigue. I had to fight against a strong desire for a rest, however I could manage to keep running thanks to many cheers of encouragement along the road. Finally I was able to cross the finish line at 5 minute behind my target time.
Finished the race I found my name on a bulletin board saying I was placed the second in my age group of 60 years old and above.
Now let’s analyze my race.
This is a comparison of time for the top two runners. As you can see I was overtaken by him at the last 5 km. I ran this leg in 22 minutes 10 seconds, while he did in 18 minutes 35 seconds. What a wonderful last spurt he put on!
But just a moment! Isn’t it too fast for the over 60 year runnner to run?
Can you believe it. Yes you can, but I can’t.
So I looked in the booklet of the full marathon ranking by age and found his name with a record of 3 hours 28 minutes that I don’t think it possible for him to break even 20 minutes in 5 km running.
Then how could he achieve such a good result? I guessed he had not run, instead his younger and faster replacement had done. So I claimed to the organizing committee for the marathon race that he might be against the rule.
Two weeks later, I got a phone call from a member of the committee.
He replied me;
“After discussions about the case of the false participant, we have concluded that you are the right person to get the first prize. Congratulations!”
There were big differences between the first place and the second, not only to have a gold medal but also to get a digital camera or nothing.
（金メダルと賞品のデジタルカメラのケースを見せる）
As far as this unqualified or disqualified runner is concerned,
I wish him being a respectable athlete not a foolish runner.
（「比較表」の数字をはぎ取って下に隠れていた文字を見せる）
Toastmasters!
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