January 2024. After completing the New Year’s Ekiden, Suguru Osako immediately flew to Kenya. After he trained in Kenya, he moved to his home training location of Flagstaff, Arizona, where he trained alone. In March, just as the Tokyo Marathon ended, news broke that Suguru Osako had been selected for the Paris Olympics, but for some reason, there was an uproar in the neighborhood as to whether or not he would participate in the Paris Olympics. In April, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he made final preparations for the Boston Marathon with coach Pete Julian.
On April 13th, even though it was right before the race, he made time for a 20 minute interview. His hair is shaved, and he looks a little thinner than when I last saw him in January. There was no needless tension, and his expression was calm and somehow refreshing. Boston, where Osako ran his first full marathon. Suguru Osako who came back a little more mature after seven years, simply talked about his thoughts on tomorrow’s race.
Please view short interview from Suguru Osako YouTube Channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/SUGURUOSAKO-COM
Text: Kohei Adachi
Photography：Shota Matsumoto