I wouldn't be too worried if I was the Red Sox. It appears he walked the marathon as that's about a 14 min mile average. Set your treadmill to 4.25mph and try to tell me that's running....

Come on he walked 26 miles in 6 hours. No big deal. A 92 year old lady was trying to break the record for 90 year olds with a time of 8 hours.

Whomever the RS official is should stand on Boylston st 4/20/29 and see what a 6 hour maratoner looks like. Hideki works harder warming up in the "pen.

Idiots. It's still a marathon. It's still impressive.
I bet MadMike and Owen Norton would be bent over, vomiting at mile 16. Try doing 10 miles at a 14 minute mile, and tell me another 16 would be no sweat. I doubt either of you could even walk 26 miles.

At least you know he's keeping in shape. Maybe Beckett and Ortiz should try it too, instead of showing up to spring training with a gut.. Drew couldn't make without his back giving out.

who cares at least we is staying in shape it not like he has to run the base's or run down a ball in deep center. i'm fine w/ him doing this we as soxs fans should stan by are boys in what they do ( thats right) GO SOX! an congrates Big O

Easy there, Paul. Mike and Owen aren't diminishing the accomplishment - just deemphasizing the physical toll. The Sox brass needn't be concerned about a 14-min/mile pace. It's not like Oki's racing cars...

For a typical healthy, able bodied, young adult, doing 26.2 niles in 6 hours is not a big deal at all, first marathon or not.

I did the bermuda international in 4:46:14 and i'm a 51 year old fat guy.Okie walked fast!!

I'm surprised Red Sox officials are upset with Oki. Good for him!! At least he's working out, running and staying in shape, something a lot of players don't bother with over the winter. It's not like he's some idiot on a dirtbike, or a semi-tough "hunter" who tromps off into the woods with a loaded shotgun and a twelve-pack.

I don't care what his time was, it takes a lot of toughness and perseverance to finish a marathon.

Thanks Paul, these people are idiots. A marathon is a marathon. I'm a runner, and would be happy with ANY finish for myself. These people obviously couldn't walk 26 miles in two months. Oki isn't a long distance runner, and anyone that can finish a marathon deserves respect.

To post #4, the previous posters were not denigrating the Oki's achievement, but were responding to the Red Sox management's stated concern about this. From personal experience, I know that a marathon can have long-term physical effects in a way that a 10-15 mile run does not. That's why cross-country coaches generally do not allow their runners to do marathons, and why the front office would be generally concerned about the idea. But as the first three posts indicate, Oki's pace was probably slow enough that it's no cause for alarm, in this case.

As long as he's not running the Boaton Marathon who gives a shit.....

What is the big deal, it's not like he was playing over 30 Senior Men's Hockey. He went out for a 26.5 mile jog in the rain, Maybe next year we can get him for the Santa Speedo Run,

6 hours?? Thats 4 mph. Who said baseballers aren't proper athletes.

MadMike and Owen are right and Paul is ignorant. 14 minute miles are a fast speedwalk. I cool down and warm up for my runs at 4.25 mph and I'm no speed demon.

Still, it is a really good accomplishment for a amateur or weekend warrior. But for a pro athlete it's a joke. I bet he did it for some charity sponsorship. I wonder if he even had to train above his usual off-season routine.

Average walking speed is roughly 20 minutes/mile. 14 minutes may not be "running" but it's definitely at least a slow jog or a very very brisk walk and definitely difficult to maintain for 26.2 miles if yer not in-shape for long-distance running. (And actually, most people find walking long distances more difficult than running/jogging long distances.)

In any case, the Red Sox definitely had reason to be pissed about him running the marathon. Either he secretly spent months training for it, in which case he was "wasting" energy/time that could have been better spent strengthening his upper body, or else he ran it with minimum or no training, in which case he seriously risked hurting himself, especially given the bad road conditions... Either way though, I have to give him kudos for finishing with a pretty decent time in such icky rainy conditions - Go Oki!!

Paul,
Take a chill pill. Point is that a a 6 hour marathon is not something that is likely going to cause any harm. What's your best time?

Actually 10mi at 14per is pretty easy. A few months of solid working out and it wouldn't be a huge problem for many reasonably healthy adults. I'm training for a half marathon and if it takes me too much more than 2 hours I might kill myself. He must have walked most of it.

Lets see an outstanding member of the Red Sox, doing something productive....no like Palexico Burress who hangs out at a night club and shoots himself.

I'd take this type of activity from the players any day.

Which reminds me...every one should go read www.38pitches.com, Schlling has a great few posts in there about the troops in Iraq and has two great power point shows.

Yeah - not a big deal - twas a walk - a rather long one though.

Not a run at all.

A 6 hour marathon is "wicked" slow. Especially for a professional athlete!

B-I-N-G-O , Paul.......

The Sox need some perspective on this. Would they be happier if he'd entered a hot-dog eating contest?

Stop, just Stop woth the hating! Everybody has a story, everybody has demons they fight on the course. It does not matter how fast or slow it is still an amazing accomplishment for anybody. It's a humbling experience regardless if you are a professional baseball player or regular Joe/Joann putting one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles. I applaud Okajima for coming to Hawaii and putting it on the line. How many other professional baseball players were out there?

6 hours? Was he still carrying Timlin?

Jeff Conine who won two World Series rings with the Marlins completed the Hawaii Ironman competition last October! He's retired from MLB.

Post # 22. Your post does not make sense. Those who scoff at his time must obviously line up with the "elites" and qualify for Boston everytime. Who are you to judge his time and try to define whether he was running, walking or even crawling? He FINISHED a marathon. Whether this was his first or his 10th Marathon, he finished. Where were you?

Baseball players are notorious for being in poor cardiovascular shape. At least he tried. A 4 mph walk results in a marathon finishing time of 6:33, so he was going pretty slow on average. I wonder why the Red Sox spokesman was upset - probably pretty ignorant about exercise. Yes, there are slowpokes that don't "run" the marathon, but as a physician I try to encourage all my patients to exercise, so I am not offended if inexperienced slow runners want to participate. They don't interfere with me (PR 2:59:17 2001 Chicago, 3:17:17 CHicago 2008).

If Oki tried to run a 3:00 marathon I'd be a little more concerned. The Red Sox are way out of touch on this one.

Do most of these weekend warriors who criticize his time run with a remote and a 40 oz in their hands? I love it, so the guy took 6 hours, my guess is he wasnt in it for the competition. The only thing most of you hacks take 6 hours to do is sleep or play video games in your mom's basement.

get real a 6 hour marathon for an able bodied person is pathetic much less someone considered an athlete-i'm so sick of hearing that completing a marathon is "impressive"- no training seriously for one and doing your best is impressive!