Yuki finished 11th after starting a couple of seconds behind the elite seeded athletes. He started with the mass start. He should be listed as placing 11th in the official results, but he is not. This is bs. If you start when the gun goes off, your finishing place should be your finishing place and you should get whatever prize or bonus awarded for that position.
I don't think there's any prize money for 11th place at London. Boston pays out through 10th, Chicago only through 5th internationally and then some additional American money. I think Berlin is also only top 5. A big difference when compared to golf tournaments where 50th place can still come away with tens of thousands of dollars.
I was watching the elite race feed on the BBC red button, the commentators didn't even notice it was Yuki. They were commenting on Luke Caldwell and Frank Lara and the male commentator (can't remember his name) said "here comes the first of the club runners, who only have a number, not their name on their bib." So there you go: Yuki Kawauchi, a Boston marathon champion, 2:07, club runner.
I know that commentators can't know everyone, but Yuki is pretty well-known, especially in the UK. He was a regular feature on the Marathon Talk podcast, which was the biggest running podcast in the country.
Not sure why everyone is getting so riled about this- from what I'm seeing, London have a rule about their elites not competing in another marathon too close to theirs (presumably so it isn't used as a B-race or back up for somewhere else). This obviously doesn't suit Yuki's unique marathon process but that's the rule and his agents or whoever were aware of it. If he really wanted to get on the elite start list then he would have cancelled his other marathon/marathons. As for having a go at Frank Lara, what on earth was he supposed to do, DQ himself on principle?
He is listed as the winner of the Mass Marathon on 2:13:18, and representing GBR rather than JPN. 11th fastest for the event but 11th place was "awarded" to "elite" American Frank Lara. Nothing against Lara, but I would be ashamed of being listed as 11th place when someone else had the 11th fastest time. It is an idiotic thing to do.
Prize money doesn't go past 10th, so we're talking about participation prizes. Lara's not too ashamed to keep his appearance fee after dropping a 2:13, I bet. Who is Kawauchi's agent and how did he not get Yuki into the elite field while guys like Lara and Allen Monroe got elite field entry, if not appearance fees?
Nothing against Frank Lara, but are they really giving him an appearance fee? Or maybe just a comp'ed entry and hotel/food? I assume he was just looking for a fast course to get his OT qualifier? OTOH, I think it would be "good-for-business" for some of the 'international' marathons to invite Americans in that 2:12 - 2:16 (and maybe some with fast half-marys), if only to drum up a little media attention in the US. (And invite women with equivalent times).
I was watching the elite race feed on the BBC red button, the commentators didn't even notice it was Yuki. They were commenting on Luke Caldwell and Frank Lara and the male commentator (can't remember his name) said "here comes the first of the club runners, who only have a number, not their name on their bib." So there you go: Yuki Kawauchi, a Boston marathon champion, 2:07, club runner.
I know that commentators can't know everyone, but Yuki is pretty well-known, especially in the UK. He was a regular feature on the Marathon Talk podcast, which was the biggest running podcast in the country.
I heard that too and thought the same thing. Pretty embarrassing. It would be like if an NBA commentator didn’t know the name of a player who’s not MVP caliber but has still made an all-star team a few times. “Here comes number 11 on the Warriors”.
YK is never gonna be the top marathoner except for flukes like Boston that year. But if he set his mind to breaking all these ultra records, like transcontinental and long trails and 7 day races, he could break them all easily. He's the missing link between running ultra and running fast.
He can win marathons without dependency on pacers.. something all the NE Africans rely on
That was a comment that I made yesterday: I'm sick of pacers at this point. The racing doesn't really start until they step of the track, and I'm tired of waiting for the race to "begin" while the elites basically burn off the pretenders. There are other ways to do that, and its a lot more entertaining/interesting to see real racing.
also, I thought that that was Kawauchi from the running form, but couldn't imagine that he was in an ordinary bib as opposed to elite. What a strange way for the London organizers to look things, although I understand why they would have their 30 or 60 day rule, but if you're not paying appearance fees, then it really shouldn't matter.
And, yes, Kawauchi can win marathons without the fundamentally very different set up for major marathons that exist now. When thinking about how close Cairess got to Jones' record from 1984 Chicago without having everything just "set up" for him. Jones had NOTHING for him that day, and even less than nothing the next year when missing the WR by a single second. Great run by Cairess yesterday, and he showed smarts in how he paced himself. Well done.
Wait... So theoretically, someone could start with the masses after the elites go off, finish before them, and still not get credit for the win?
Wesley Korir ran the 4th fastest time in 2008 Chicago marathon, but he was not initially awarded the 4th place because he started several minutes behind the elites. I think they later decided to give him the same money as the 4th place finisher.
That was a comment that I made yesterday: I'm sick of pacers at this point. The racing doesn't really start until they step of the track, and I'm tired of waiting for the race to "begin" while the elites basically burn off the pretenders. There are other ways to do that, and its a lot more entertaining/interesting to see real racing.
also, I thought that that was Kawauchi from the running form, but couldn't imagine that he was in an ordinary bib as opposed to elite. What a strange way for the London organizers to look things, although I understand why they would have their 30 or 60 day rule, but if you're not paying appearance fees, then it really shouldn't matter.
And, yes, Kawauchi can win marathons without the fundamentally very different set up for major marathons that exist now. When thinking about how close Cairess got to Jones' record from 1984 Chicago without having everything just "set up" for him. Jones had NOTHING for him that day, and even less than nothing the next year when missing the WR by a single second. Great run by Cairess yesterday, and he showed smarts in how he paced himself. Well done.
Starting to agree with this. Jones famously ran without a watch as well. He once went through halfway in 61:42 which was nuts in those days when the WR was 2:07. I'd like more of that unpredictability, not knowing how someone is going to run from the start rather than just starting the race at 30k. I was on the edge of my seat when it turned out that the pacer screwed up in Berlin last year and Kipchoge was dragged through halfway in sub-60. TTs have their place, but the WMMs should be pure races, all six of them
Wait, what? A former Boston Marathon winner had to start with the masses while Frank Lara got to start with the elites?
Rojo, a huge mistake by the Marathon organizers, they have to know who Yuki and what he has done, his PR is 2:07, and he won Boston and 44 other Marathons. I dont get it at all. Forget about appearance money, just let him start with the Elites. Since Dave Bedford left do they have people on their staff that know running?
Their policy about not running another Marathon within a certain time frame does not apply to Luke, he is an Outlier.
The only runners in recent history who have done something similar were Kjell-Erik Ståhl and Doug Kurtis, Kjell-Erik Ståhl at one point ran 14 marathons in a 12 month period and averaged 2:16.
Wait, what? A former Boston Marathon winner had to start with the masses while Frank Lara got to start with the elites?
Rojo, a huge mistake by the Marathon organizers, they have to know who Yuki and what he has done, his PR is 2:07, and he won Boston and 44 other Marathons. I dont get it at all. Forget about appearance money, just let him start with the Elites. Since Dave Bedford left do they have people on their staff that know running?
Their policy about not running another Marathon within a certain time frame does not apply to Luke, he is an Outlier.
The only runners in recent history who have done something similar were Kjell-Erik Ståhl and Doug Kurtis, Kjell-Erik Ståhl at one point ran 14 marathons in a 12 month period and averaged 2:16.
Sorry,,,typo.
Their policy about not running another Marathon within a certain time frame does not apply to Yuki, he is an Outlier.
Wait... So theoretically, someone could start with the masses after the elites go off, finish before them, and still not get credit for the win?
Wesley Korir ran the 4th fastest time in 2008 Chicago marathon, but he was not initially awarded the 4th place because he started several minutes behind the elites. I think they later decided to give him the same money as the 4th place finisher.
Which means his performance was vastly superior to the "official" 4th placer, because he didn't have the other elites pushing him. Everything I'm learning in this thread is utter BS...the possibility that someone could start behind the 'elites' (putting them at a disadvantage!), beat them, and not be recognized for it is a betrayal of the sport's entire spirit. You might as well tell them at the start, "don't bother pushing yourself today, you don't count." The 4th best performance should get the 4th place prize, if the 'elites' don't like it they should run faster.
You and your ghost friends just don't get it! The game is to WIN the marathon, not to run the most sub 2:10s. What's the prize for that?
There IS a prize for a lot of these extreme endurance things, which he could easily dominate in view of that busy marathon schedule of his. The guy just doesn't get tired.
YK is never gonna be the top marathoner except for flukes like Boston that year. But if he set his mind to breaking all these ultra records, like transcontinental and long trails and 7 day races, he could break them all easily. He's the missing link between running ultra and running fast.
He can win marathons without dependency on pacers.. something all the NE Africans rely on
Oh please... he can't beat the guys going 2:01 to 2:04, pacers or not.
Bring on all the vote bots and butthurt whiners you want, folks, I'm just telling it like it is. YK is not the best marathoner, not even close. There's no category for "best consistent good performer."
He'd be great at even longer distances, possibly unbeatable. That's somehow offensive?