Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Thanks Rendered by Catherine to God after Marathon Relay Race Today

Thanks Rendered by Catherine to God after Marathon Relay Race Today

The marathon relay race was recently officially recognized as a legitimate race that could claim the authentic world record and so on.

The whole marathon course is divided in to six sections: 5 kilo meters, 10 Km, 5 Km, 10 Km, 5 Km, and the last 7.195 Km. So, one team needs six athletes.

Today, both the male and female Kenya teams won the race, respectively, hosted by Chiba Prefecture, north of the Tokyo Bay.

The female England team was the seventh, though Paula Radcliffe, despite being in a little difficult conditions, put on a strong spurt in the second section so as to pull up the position of her team from the ninth to the fourth. She later said, in an interview, that she had made a stupid spurt after receiving a sash or a special baton (, which is why she could not bring her team to the third position in the section). It is perhaps because there were a few runners just in front of her, a rare situation for her.

Naoko Takahashi and Mizuki Noguchi, two Olympic gold medalists, did not join the race, but they also played an important role each in the proceeding of the event as well as live national TV broadcast.

Naoko Takahashi said, on TV screen, that she had a dinner with Paula Radcliffe after the Women’s Tokyo Marathon and got her sign on her picture. Naoko Takahashi said, “I will display the picture in my room for commemoration and stimulation.”

Today’s victory of Kenyan female team might be largely ascribed to Catherine Ndereba who took a charge in the fourth section, in terms of fighting spirit. Other five members of her team have been living in Japan for, at least, a few years, learning, working and training.

The second team was Ethiopian, though Elfenesh Alemu did not join the race. They have also some members living in Japan.

Japanese woman team finished the race in the fourth next to the Russian team that, reportedly, had hard training as a team before this competition. The Japanese team could not even set a new record for themselves, though they could overwhelm the Chinese woman team, an Asian record holder since 1998.

But, nobody in huge audience, lining up along the course for 42.195 Km, did not look disappointed at all. The two fastest female marathon runners, Paula and Catherine, satisfied people, though this is not the first time for both of them to join the marathon relay race in Chiba: Paula the second time and Catherine the third time or so.

Paula and Catherine have had good lessons in Japan before or during their remarkable success through races in the world, which is still going on.

What compelled me into reporting today’s race is, however, Catherine’s comments in an interview after the race. In it, she openly rendered thanks to God on TV. Such a comment is rarely heard in Japan.

I think now there is a strong probability of Catherine’s victory in Beijing 2008, though I don’t know how others might show their gratitude to God whose picture no one has.

“AT THE VERY MOMENT THE WOMAN BECAME WELL.”