うたぴょんスポーツThis one was the Katsushika Autumn Track and Field Competition 2025, and Uta went out under her club colours, Saitama RC. Two events on the card: the 1000m and the javelick ball throw, a lighter, javelin-style ball used in Japanese elementary school athletics.
It was a warm day for late September, around 27°C with 43% humidity and a bit of wind, and Uta said before the race she was aiming to beat her own best times in both events.
How the day went
Uta seemed relaxed on camera before her events, joking around a bit and saying her usual 'let's go' before heading to the track. The conditions were muggy rather than hot, and there was a noticeable headwind for the throwing event, which she mentioned made things harder than usual.
She also got a small gift during the day, something from a fourth-grade friend connected to gymnastics, which she said would motivate her to keep working at that too. Little moments like that are as much a part of these meet days as the actual races.
The race itself
In the javelick ball throw, her second attempt went out to 4.57 metres. It wasn't a personal best, but it was enough for third place, and given the strong headwind she was facing, she said afterward she was happy with that result.
The 1000m was tougher to watch back. Uta herself was blunt about it afterward, saying the start went badly, something like a zero out of a hundred points by her own scoring. She didn't hit a personal best there either, and admitted she went out too fast and lost her rhythm before she could settle into the race.
What a parent took away from it
Watching her talk through her own race afterward is honestly more useful than anything I could say. She knew exactly where it went wrong in the 1000m, the start and the early pacing, and she said herself the plan now is to fix that so she can run under control instead of forcing it.
The javelick result is a good reminder too: conditions matter, and a result that falls short of a personal best in a headwind isn't a step backward. Third place in a throw she wasn't fully happy with technically still counts for something.
My job here is mostly just to let her keep setting her own targets and talk them through out loud. She's already named the next one.
Uta said her next target is the 800m this weekend, and that she wants to go back over everything that went wrong today before then. We'll see how the start looks next time.
The video has her full day, from the warm-up joking around to the podium for the javelick throw.