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Harumi Hiroyama Announces Retirement Following Tokyo Marathon

http://www.topics.or.jp/localNews/news/2009/02/2009_123362622264.html
http://www.47news.jp/CN/200902/CN2009020201000205.html
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2009020200646

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Veteran long distance runner Harumi Hiroyama (40, Team Shiseido) announced on Feb. 2 that she plans to retire following her run in March's Tokyo Marathon. "The Tokyo Marathon will be my last race as a professional athlete," she told reporters. If her preparations for Tokyo go smoothly Hiroyama will run the Feb. 22 Kaifugawa Marathon in her native Fukushima Prefecture as a tuneup race.

However, Hiroyama's husband and Team Shiseido head coach Tsutomu Hiroyama (42) cautioned that she is currently injured and may be unable to run in Tokyo. If this proves to be the case she will target another race for her last run. "Since turning 40 it has become harder and harder for Harumi to stay mentally strong and to keep in top form," Coach Hiroyama explained. "Her body is declining with age, and in December we made the decision for her to retire."

Beginning with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Harumi Hiroyama was on the Japanese national team for three straight Olympic Games. She was 4th in the 1999 Seville World Championships 10000 m and 8th in the 2005 Helsinki World Championships marathon. Hiroyama ran 2:22:56 at the 2000 Osaka International Women's Marathon in an attempt to make the marathon team for the Sydney Olympics, but with only a 2nd place finish she was not selected. At age 37 she won the 2006 Nagoya International Women's Marathon in 2:23:26, her first win in ten marathons. Turning 40 last September, she has long managed to sustain her strength as one of the country's top-class domestic runners.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
How about Noguchi? is she retiring? She's out of action.
February 5, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Anonymous said…
is Megumi Oshima retiring? Lately she has bad form. She ran 2:57 at Honolulu
February 5, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Brett Larner said…
Dennis--

Oshima quit Team Shimamura last year, so is probably retired and her Honolulu time was most likely just a fun run. Noguchi is on the way back.
February 5, 2009 at 1:48 PM
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