Japan Masters Athletics 3000m Race, Osaka

It has been a while since I last did a race. Over 2 months in fact. Training has been going well. For a long time I have not been improving. Though for the last month or so, I have started to slightly improve my repetition times and to be able to do sessions that I have not been able to do for many years. No major progress, but it is encouraging. So I was looking forward to running a 3000m track race at a Japan Masters Athletics meet in Nagai Park, Osaka, held yesterday on the last day of the Golden Week national holiday.

10 days previously, I had jogged up to the hard packed sand track in Sonobe, the town where I live, and ran 2400m, or 6 laps, as hard as I could, as a little workout to round off the week and a test of my current fitness level. I was surprised to finish it in 7:46, which is less than 80 seconds per 400m pace. I had ran the same distance on the same track 4 weeks previously in 8:18, so this was a decent improvement. I began to think, if I could run a race on a proper track after a few days easy running to freshen up, a new personal best could be a realistic possibility.

I arrived early at Nagai Park yesterday, partly to avoid the renowned Golden Week traffic nightmare, but also because I did not know what time my race was. I had to wait 7 hours for my race! I took it easy, lying down for most of that time in a shaded area with other runners trying to reduce our time spent out in the strong sun. I felt relaxed. I reflected on the fact that I had been to Nagai Park once before in November last year, to do a 10KM road race, coming second in the second fastest time I had ran that distance. Everything was pointing towards a good race for me.

31 men lined up for the 3000m men`s race at 3:30pm. Race Officials put out a table on the side of the track to hand out cups of water during the race, so it was hot! The start was fast, but though I tried to hold back on my initial pace, I found myself in third place after 200 metres, and I moved up easily into 2^nd place by 400m. The man in 1^st place was well ahead by that point. I remember going through 600 metres in about 1:51. I thought, I am on course for a personal best if I can hold the pace at about 76 seconds per 400m.

After I had ran 1500m, the man in third place overtook me on the straight section. I must have been slowing, but as I was out by myself I was not too concerned and tried to tuck in behind him and use him to drag me along at a good pace. Then, as I approached the lap counting sign, showing 3 laps to go with 1800 metres already ran, 3 race officials leapt out in front of me onto the track trying to flag me down. What was this? I realized I was being forced to withdraw from the race.

There was a problem with the race number that I was wearing on my vest. Due to a mistake or miscommunication issue not of my making, I was not given the correct race number to wear. I and the starter race officials both had only realized this as I lined up on the start line of the race. I waited anxiously as 3 officials (not the same 3 who forced me out of the race) talked amongst themselves about what to do. My name was on the official race entry list as I had entered weeks before. I had paid my race fee, of about 15 British Pounds Sterling! At the last moment, they said I could run the race but had to tuck my vest in! I was taken by complete surprise when the other officials leapt in front of me during the race, as I have never been forced out of a race before, but I quickly realized it was about my race number.

I packed up quickly and went home. What a massive disappointment, waste of time and money, and an embarrassment. I had been planning a summer campaign of track races. There are few to no decent road races during the summer months ahead, whereas the Japan Masters Athletics Association organize regular track competitions throughout the year. I know that the problem that led to me being given the incorrect race number is very likely to reoccur, so for the time being I will not do any more Japan Masters Athletics Association races. This means there will be very few chances for me to race until the Autumn when, due to the cooling temperatures, the number of road races picks up.