My goal is to inspire everyone

RRC member interview

Text: Shun Sato

Hiroyuki Arima, Team A2 (Goal: Full marathon sub 3 hours 10 minutes), was selected as the 6th round MVP.

The difficult course of the Yokohama Marathon

I had heard that the Yokohama Marathon was a difficult course and that I wouldn't be able to get a good time, so I decided to go for it from the start. I was glad that I was able to save some energy at the end and set a personal best time (3 hours, 5 minutes, 34 seconds, now 3 hours, 0 minutes, 45 seconds at the Tsukuba Marathon). I don't always run at full strength, but rather try to use what I have left in my reserves for the next race. This has led to good results in subsequent races.

Steadily improve your time

Up until Yokohama, my marathon schedule had been going pretty well. In March, I ran the Tokyo Marathon in 3 hours 17 minutes, and then the Sakura Marathon in 3 hours 12 minutes. I had a stress fracture in my foot during the Hokkaido Marathon in August, so I wasn't sure how far I could run, but being able to finish under 3.5 hours in that heat really gave me confidence.

Growth with RETO

Before joining RETO, I only did jogging. But doing speed training and running long distances with the team has helped me improve my running ability. I mainly do speed training with RETO, and also take advantage of Tamken Ren and independent training sessions. I'm not very fast, so it's all I can do to keep up with RETO, but by running to keep up, my normal running speed has improved considerably. Before joining RETO, I couldn't have imagined I could run at a 4 minute 15 second pace, but now I can do it, and I think that's the result of my speed training.

The abundance of information is also a major advantage

RETO is packed with information not only about training, but also about shoes and gels, which was very helpful. I had never used Molten before, but when I tried it after being recommended it, it was amazing and I became addicted. When I was injured and had a stress fracture, Nana (Nozaki Nanako) told me about extracorporeal shock waves, and when I tried them, the pain was greatly reduced, which I think led to my PB at the Yokohama Marathon.

He was called "the growing-up uncle"

Lately, I've started to enjoy achieving results. Whenever I set a personal best in a race, Kamino-san reports it in front of everyone at RETO. That motivates me. I want to be someone who can inspire others on the team, and my goal is to inspire others in that way. I'm known as the "growth-stage uncle," but I hope we can continue to have a positive influence on each other and benefit from it. Now that I've come this far, I want to make sure I can achieve a sub-3 time next time.