To the Japanese, Jeff Schiebler is Brad Pitt in running shoes. They love him -- Schiebler, that is. They love his blond hair and blue eyes and the fact Schiebler is one of the top import long-distance runners in the land of the rising sun. They especially love the way he has adopted their culture, learned their language and competed in all their top races such as the Ekiden, the so-called Super Bowl of road racing.
Little wonder then that when Schiebler is asked, "Will there be more Japanese cheering for you at the Sydney Olympics or more Canadians?" he cracks a smile and answers, "More Japanese."
By a large number?
"Yes. They'll show my race in Japan."
How did this happen? How did Canada's top athlete in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres end up a running celebrity in Japan? To hear the Vancouver-born Schiebler tell it, it was largely circumstance -- the right people happened to see him run and offered him a contract with electronics giant NEC.
As a member of the NEC-sponsored running team, Schiebler's job was to compete in all the prestigious Japanese races -- track, cross-country, road, half-marathon, whatever. Admittedly, said Schiebler, who has now spent four years in Japan, having a certain look worked to his advantage.
"The blond hair and blue eyes didn't hurt," he said. "They're attracted to it. I hate to say I get paid for my looks, but 10 per cent anyway. In a big group of guys, I stick out like a sore thumb. I get a bit more coverage for NEC. It's good for the company and good for me."
Schiebler, 27, is paid a six-figure salary to stick out and produce. In Japan, there are dozens of long-distance running teams and each is allowed one import. The majority of imports are from Kenya and Ethiopia. Schiebler said he is the only non-African import runner in Japan and that the longer he lives there the more recognizable he becomes.
"It's happening more and more," he said of being stopped on the streets of Tokyo and Yamamshi, the city where he trains and endures the classic loneliness of the long-distance runner. "It's a very boring, monkish existence over there to train. I'm on my own -- train, eat, sleep. There are no distractions. It can get tough."
Schiebler has been Canada's best 5,000-metre runner for years, winning five national titles and finishing second in last weekend's Canadian track and field championships at the University of Victoria. He has competed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the world outdoor championships, the world cross-country championships and the Commonwealth Games. He is also the Canadian record holder in the 10,000 metres after turning in a time of 27 minutes 45.75 seconds at a race in Kobe, Japan, two years ago.
But for pure recognition, Schiebler said there isn't much better than the Ekiden, Japan's seven-leg road relay that attracts millions of spectators and even more TV viewers. The Ekiden is a gruelling race that can cover 100 kilometres and take as long as four hours to complete. Twenty teams send out their seven best runners to each run a portion of the race and the first man to cross the finish line is showered with fame. If you think about it, it's almost like Japan's answer to the TV show Survivor.
"I run one of the seven legs," Schiebler said. "My job is to make up as much ground as I can. It's like the Super Bowl. Millions of fans watch it. It's the samurai -- the longest and the toughest. The Japanese love that. You put that on TV over here and I can't watch it."
Schiebler plans to compete in Japan for two more years before returning to Canada permanently. As for the Sydney Olympics, he has run enough miles against some of the world's best distance runners to know where he ranks and what he should expect Down Under.
"I don't think I'm a medal threat," Schiebler said. "I definitely think I can make it to the final. After the top three Kenyans and top three Ethiopians, it's wide open. I want to place as high as I can and rank as high as I can in the world. The Olympics is the place to make your statement."
It's the place where Schiebler's run is sure to draw viewers on both sides of the Pacific. It will also be fodder for a future project -- a book about Schiebler's life and times as a man of two countries.