I Need To Work Harder, Or Is It Work Smarter?

Veteran Olympic trainer Bob Prichard observes a common error amongst top Japanese marathoners.

- Bob Prichard

On Sunday, March 10, 2019, Japan’s male and female runners were soundly defeated in both the Nagoya and Lake Biwa marathons. Not one Japanese runner placed in the top three positions. What has prevented Japanese runners from defeating their African rivals is their belief that they ‘need to work harder’.

In fifth place at Nagoya, Japan’s Reiwa Iwade improved her personal best by more than 30 seconds. “I was so happy to be the first Japanese in the race,” said Iwade, who passed Kayoko Fukushi just before 41 kilometres. “My problem was that I could not change the pace at 30km. I need to work harder.”

The Stride Angle is the maximum opening between the front and trailing upper leg, usually at toe-off, as you see in the illustration below. For every degree you increase your Stride Angle, you increase your stride length two per cent. Johannes is covering 80 per cent more ground with each stride. No amount of ‘work harder’ can catch up to a runner with a stride length 80 per cent greater. Johannes has a much bigger Stride Angle because her legs and hips are much more flexible that Iwade.

EFFORT CAN NEVER REPLACE EFFICIENCY.

Iwade was already working much harder than Johannes during the Nagoya Marathon. She had to take almost twice as many steps, which means her vertical distance was greater. Japanese runners typically bounce up and down during the marathon 7.6 cm with each stride. African runners bounce up and down only 5 cm. Japanese runners, just from their 50 per cent greater vertical distance are already ‘working harder’ during the marathon. Japanese runners are working 50 per cent harder.