Skip to main content

'The World-Famous Seko' Wows Celebrity Runners With His Comedy Stylings During Tokyo Marathon Training Session (updated)

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/society/news/2008/02/16/01.html
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainment/news/20080130-OHT1T00080.htm
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/flash/KFullFlash20080129024.html
http://www.nikkansports.com/general/p-gn-tp0-20080129-313417.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

13 comedians and announcers from Nihon Television are scheduled to run in the 2008 Tokyo Marathon on Feb. 17. Legendary marathoner Toshihiko Seko (51) oversaw the group's training at a practice session at Tokyo's Yumenoshima track on Jan. 29, overwhelming the entertainers with his wit and humor.

The group included 6 pretty young female announcers and 5 well-known comedians, but the one who made the biggest impression with his jokes was 'The World-Famous Seko.' Talking about Nihon Television's plans for a 7-hour broadcast of Tokyo, Seko commented, "They have too much free time. It's boring. This isn't the Hakone Ekiden!" After comedian Cunning Takeyama lost a 10,000 m time trial to all the female announcers, Seko told him, "You're no good because your name is Cunning. But then again, I only got into university through cunning....." When lovely announcer Maki Mori said, "I want to practice with Seko some more!" Seko quickly rejoined, "I wouldn't mind doing something a little more than just practicing!" Comedian Kunikazu Katsumata begged, "Mr. Seko, please start a new career as 'The God of Comedy!'"

During the 10,000 m time trial, comedian Sumiko Nishioka (33), who plays a dominatrix character in her standup routines, dropped out after 3 laps of the track (1200 m). Nevertheless, she snarled "I'm the only really serious one here. I'm going to beat all these cute little announcers!"

Tokyo Marathon supporter Mayor Shintaro Ishihara met with many of the celebrity runners on Feb. 15. Shocked by the obvious lack of fitness in some of the entertainers, Ishihara told them, "Take it easy out there, really. A television show isn't something worth dying for."

Also entered in Tokyo is Miyazaki Prefecture Governor and former comedian Hideo Higashikokubaru (50). After awarding prizes at the end of the spring Sumo tournament, the Governor ran the later part of the Tokyo course from Shinagawa to Odaiba on Jan. 27 as part of his preparation. Higashikokubara's blog said that he hasn't practiced enough for Tokyo and that he is worried. "This was my first run in 10 days. My knees didn't feel very good." This will be his first full marathon as Governor.

Translator's note: Seko was renowned and feared in his competitive days for his stoic, impassive race persona. As with last year, he is scheduled to sing at the Tokyo Marathon expo with his jazz group the Pankies.

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Japan's Olympic Marathon Team Meets the Press

With renewed confidence, Japan's Olympic marathon team will face the total 438 m elevation difference hills of Paris this summer. The members of the women's and men's marathon teams for August's Paris Olympics appeared at a press conference in Tokyo on Mar. 25 in conjunction with the Japan Marathon Championship Series III (JMC) awards gala. Women's Olympic trials winner Yuka Suzuki (Daiichi Seimei) said she was riding a wave of motivation in the wake of the new women's national record. When she watched Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) set the record at January's Osaka International Women's Marathon on TV, Suzuki said she was, "absolutely stunned." Her coach Sachiko Yamashita told her afterward, "When someone breaks the NR, things change," and Suzuki found herself saying, "I want to take my shot." After training for a great run in Paris, she said, "I definitely want to break the NR in one of my marathons after that." Mao

Weekend Racing Roundup

  China saw a new men's national record of 2:06:57 from  Jie He  at the Wuxi Marathon Sunday, but in Japan it was a relatively quiet weekend with mostly cold and rainy amateur-level marathons across the country. At the Tokushima Marathon , club runner Yuhi Yamashita  won the men's race by almost 4 1/2 minutes in 2:17:02, the fastest Japanese men's time of the weekend, but oddly took 22 seconds to get across the starting line. The women's race saw a close finish between the top two, with Shiho Iwane  winning in 2:49:33 over Ayaka Furukawa , 2nd in 2:49:46.  At the 41st edition of the Sakura Marathon in Chiba, Yukie Matsumura  (Comodi Iida) ran the fastest Japanese women's time of the weekend, 2:42:45, to take the win. Club runner Yuki Kuroda  won the men's race in 2:20:08.  Chika Yokota  won the Saga Sakura Marathon women's race in 2:49:33.  Yuki Yamada  won the men's race in 2:21:47 after taking the lead in the final 2 km.  Naoki Inoue  won the 16th r

Takeuchi Wins Niigata Half in Boston Tune-Up

Running in cold, windy and rainy conditions, Ryoma Takeuchi (ND Software) warmed up for April's Boston Marathon with a win at Wednesday's Niigata Half Marathon . Takeuchi sat behind Nittai University duo Susumu Yamazaki and Ryuga Ishikawa in the early stages, then made a series of pushes to pick up the pace. Each time he tucked in behind whoever went to the front, while behind them others dropped off. Before 15 km only Yamazaki and Riki Koike of Soka University were left, and when Takeuchi went to the front the last time after 15 km only Koike followed. By 16 he was gone too, leaving Takeuchi to solo it in to the win in 1:03:13 with a 17-second negative split. "This was my last fitness check before the Boston Marathon next month, and my time was right on-target," he said post-race. "Everything went as planned. I'm looking forward to racing some of the world's best in Boston, and my goal there is to place in the single digits." Just back from tr