Visiting Kenya, a country renowned for its marathons

Q. What made you want to go to Kenya?

A. Kenya is a mecca for marathon and track and field, and I've wanted to see the environment of world-class athletes ever since I was a student! This time, I was given the opportunity to participate in a training camp with world-class athlete Nozomi Tanaka. I didn't have the courage to go alone, but since Tanaka-san would be joining us, I decided to go. My goal was to train with her, see the life, environment, and training in Kenya with my own eyes, and record it on video (YouTube).

Q. What were your impressions of Kenya's running culture?

A. The environment was constantly challenging due to the thin air at an altitude of 2400m. The temperature was also around 25 degrees Celsius, so it was an environment unlike anything in Japan, with high temperatures at such a high altitude, and I struggled to adapt. In addition, the track and field stadium's tartan surface was not well maintained, and the spikes wouldn't penetrate properly, making it difficult to run. However, by running in this environment, I realized that running in a well-maintained environment would greatly contribute to improving my personal best.

Q. What were your thoughts during your first trip to Africa, specifically to Kenya?

A. I had the opportunity to run with some children, and one of them said he wanted to become a runner like Eliud Kipchoge in the future. However, he didn't have any running shoes. That kind of thing almost never happens in Japan. It made me realize once again how fortunate Japan is, and it gave me an opportunity to think deeply about what I can do to help and support others.

Q. What would you like to convey to Japanese runners based on your experience of Kenya's running culture?

A. Kenyan athletes run to support their families and make a living. Therefore, there was a significant difference in their level of commitment compared to Japan. I'm sure there are people in Japan who run to make a living, but in Kenya, the weight of that is different, and the more serious people there are, the higher the level of competition becomes. I realized that you have to put in a tremendous amount of effort to compete against such athletes on the world stage. However, I also think there are many things that can be done precisely because Japan has such a privileged environment. There were aspects of this that I couldn't understand without actually going there, so I hope that many people will watch the video of this training camp in Kenya and cherish the feelings they experience. I'm really glad that I was able to create such an opportunity.