Track and field coach Toshihiko Seko

2026.08.03

Run towards your goal so you can cry in practice and laugh in the game.

■ Profile
Born in 1956 in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture.　
During his high school years, he achieved a double victory in the 800m and 1,500m at the Inter-High School Track and Field Championships for two consecutive years. At Waseda University, he excelled not only in the Hakone Ekiden but also in marathons, later boasting 10 wins in 15 races, including the Boston Marathon.
After coaching for corporate teams (S&B Foods, DeNA) and the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, he is currently working to promote marathon running as a Fellow of the DeNA Sports Group.

Toshihiko Seko, who was active at the forefront of track and field and now leads the Japanese track and field world as a commentator and coach, reflected on his track and field career, including his intense encounter with his mentor, Coach Kiyoshi Nakamura, his struggles during his active career overcoming grueling training, and his thoughts and how he confronts himself in order to achieve his goals as a coach.

I was fast on my feet from elementary school and never lost in foot races or marathons. I loved baseball, so I joined the baseball club in middle school. However, the track and field coach, who had seen me dominate at the school's sports day, asked me to participate in the city championships, where I won both the 800-meter and 2000-meter races. I then went on to win the prefectural championships as well, and was encouraged to pursue track and field seriously, with the coach saying, "Track and field would definitely be better for you in the long run." So, I started taking up track and field seriously in high school.
After receiving proper coaching, my performance improved dramatically, and I won the Inter-High School Championships in my second and third years of high school.
After that, I received an offer from Waseda University, but I failed the entrance exam and ended up spending a year studying for it again. During that time, I was asked to "study English," and for some reason, I ended up studying abroad for a year at the University of Southern California in the United States. For an 18-year-old boy, the combination of entrance exams, studying English, and unfamiliar life in a foreign country was tough, and I became homesick. As a result of eating excessively to relieve stress, I gained nearly 10 kilograms in America.

■ An intense encounter with my mentor, Director Kiyoshi Nakamura, and my resolve

After a year of hard work, I finally managed to get into Waseda University, but because I had gained weight, I couldn't immediately make an impact. At the time, the university's track and field team was so weak that they couldn't even participate in the Hakone Ekiden, so I thought, "It would be great if I could lose weight over the next three years and then participate in Hakone." That's when I met Coach Kiyoshi Nakamura, who would become my lifelong mentor.
When I first met the coach, his passion was extraordinary. In front of the students, he said, "It's not your fault that Waseda is weak. I apologize," and continued to slap his own cheek so hard that blood spurted from his mouth. Then he said, "Seko, I will teach you with my life, so do marathons, not middle or long distances." Then, one day, when we were talking on the beach, the coach piled up some sand in his hand and said, "If this is the medicine that will make you the best in the world, would you eat it? It's easy for me," and he actually ate the sand. Seeing the coach's back like that, I was overwhelmed and thought, "This is a man who will do things with his life on the line." And since I had already failed once in America, I decided that I would trust this man even if it meant failing again. From then on, I threw myself into training all at once and was able to return to my original weight in three months.

■I wanted to cry during practice and laugh during the game.

It's natural for marathon training to be tough. Back then, my coach told me, "Focus on track and field. No dating either," so even on weekends when everyone else was having fun, I would just run in parks and other places. To get stronger, I had no choice but to follow my coach's words and keep running. I made up my mind, "If I'm going to cry after losing a race, I'd rather cry during practice. I'll overcome the hardship of training so that I can smile in the race."
The appeal of track and field lies in the fact that, being an individual sport, you can't blame others. Whether you win or lose, it's all up to you. Conversely, if you put in the effort, your improvement is clearly visible in your records, and if you slack off, it shows immediately. Because it's a world where you can't make excuses, it's a battle against yourself, and that's what makes it so rewarding.
Things you're told during your student days stay with you forever. Coach Nakamura's words, "Anyone who slacks off during practice has no right to coach others in the future," have stayed with me ever since I became a coach myself. I remember one teammate going to the coach's house at 8 pm after attending his sister's wedding. The coach said, "Was your sister beautiful? I see, then go for a run now." The world of competition doesn't wait, even after a celebration. The coach embodied the idea that there is no room for compromise or excuses, and that every day is a serious competition.

■The example set by our leaders and our future dreams

Currently, I have stepped back from on-field coaching and am now involved in commentary for ekiden and marathons, giving lectures for companies, and promoting marathons at citizen marathon events. What I have always valued as a coach is "showing the athletes my own example." Coach Nakamura would stand for hours, even in the rain, without an umbrella, watching over our practice. Seeing my mentor, who is nearly 70 years old, watching in the rain, only fuels one's passion even more. After retiring from active competition until I was about 50, I left all household matters to my wife and lived with the athletes 365 days a year without a single day off.
My dream for the future is to see my former student, Coach Katsuhiko Hanada, who is currently the head coach of the Ekiden team at Waseda University, win the Hakone Ekiden and carry him on my shoulders in celebration. And in the world of Japanese marathon running, I want to see both the men's and women's teams win medals at the Olympics again. I believe my current job is to encourage and support the people involved with the Japan Association of Athletics Federations to make that happen.

■Message to university students

Life isn't always smooth sailing. That's why you shouldn't be afraid of failure. I want you to fail a lot and learn a great deal from it. There's a saying, "Haste makes waste," and I believe that true truth and authenticity lie beyond the long, arduous detours and overcoming the hardships, rather than trying to take shortcuts or get through the easy way out.
It's also important to have goals. They don't matter how small they are. Setting short-term goals will help build confidence.
And please make lots of friends. The connections you make during your student years will definitely help you when you enter society in the future. The sweat you don't shed when you're young will turn into tears when you're older. Cherish your irreplaceable student life.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 22, 2026 by Musashino University third-year student Akira Yoshimatsu

Tatsushi Harada (2nd year, Nihon University) / Yurie Watanabe (3rd year, Josai International University) / Akina Yoshimatsu (4th year, Musashino University) / Kenta Ito (3rd year, Waseda University) / Aoi Morikawa (2nd year, Hosei University) / Reina Inomoto (1st year, Kyoto University of the Arts)