In the midst of a lot of talk about how to keep the aging population young, there are people with long lives who are showing extraordinary physical abilities. One of them is Hiroo Tanaka , 93, a multiple world champion in masters track and field. Tanaka began running when he was 60, before which he'd never competed in his adult life. "He's so fast he's world-class." "His running form is so beautiful. It's like he's flying." Tanaka trains at an indoor track in Aomori five days a week. Asked about him, that's the kind of thing the people there say. Tanaka holds multiple masters track and field world records, where age is divided into five-year groups. Last year at the World Masters Track and Field Championships in Poland he set a new world record of 38.79 for 200 m in the M90 class (men's 90-94 age group). People around the world were amazed at the time, which was almost unbelievable for a 92-year-old. After retiring from his job as an el
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Current standings:
1-Waseda
2-Toyo
3-Chuo Gakuin
4-Meiji
5-Nihon
6-Komazawa
7-Tokai
Looks like Tokai will catch Komazawa.
200 m to go - Hiraga is safe. Yusuke Mita, one of Waseda's best guys, is next.
Meiji 3rd, 13 sec behind Toyo
Nihon 4th 14 sec behind Meiji
Chuo Gakuin 5th another 25 sec back
Tokai rounds out seeded bracket. Daichi Kogyo 7th just back from Tokai. Tokyo Nogyo and Yamanashi Gakuin in range too.
5th Stage - 11.6 km.
Aces: Mita (Waseda) and Chiba (Toyo) - currently 1-2. Both were great in Hakone this year.
Looks like Meiji's Yasuda is catching up to Mita. Mita running 3:00 pace even.
Nihon's Taniguchi moving up on Toyo's Chiba. Daiichi Kogyo likewise making up ground on Tokai for the last seeded spot.
Tokai takes Chuo Gakuin for 5th.
Taniguchi actually doesn't look very good, but if he and the 6th/7th leg guys hold his current position they've got it once Kenyan Gitau runs the anchor stage.
Taniguchi to 2nd.
Aces: Takabayashi (Komazawa), Marubayashi (Nihon)
1. Meiji
2. Nihon +34 sec
3. Waseda +22 sec
4. Toyo +30 sec
5. Tokai +7 sec
6. Daiichi Kogyo +45 sec
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7. Chuo Gakuin +2 sec
8. Yamanashi Gakuin + 20 sec
Takabayashi takes Tokyo Nogyo's Takayama for 10th.
Nihon has made up 7 sec on Meiji's lead.
Komazawa's Takabayashi 8:26 through 3 km.
Takabayashi 14:21 through 5k, Komazawa in 10th. Marubayashi losing ground to Watanabe - Nihon now 46 sec behind Meiji.
Takabayashi takes Chuo for 8th. About to take Chuo Gakuin too. Yamanashi Gakuin in 6th is in sight but probably not in range with just over 2 km left.
Waseda's runner is Kanzawa - my mistake.
Komazawa's Takabayashi into 7th past Chuo Gakuin - coach Oyagi is yelling at Takabayashi to take Yamanashi Gakuin. No chance, though.
7th stage: 11.9 km
Aces: Yokoyama (Aoyama Gakuin)
2. Toyo +1:04
3. Nihon +0:09
4. Waseda +0:05
5. Tokai +0:55
6. Yamanashi Gakuin +0:05
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7. Komazawa +0:33
8. Chuo Gakuin +0:25
9. Chuo +0:13
It's worth nothing that Nittai Univ. is not here because they could not run the qualifying race in June due to the ridiculous marijuana suspension scandal last spring.
Aoyama Gakuin's Yokoyama looking good - tryng to beat their seed of 15th.
Waseda's Maeda has completely fallen away from Nihon's Yokomatsu.
Aces:
Fukatsu (Komazawa)
Ozaki (Waseda)
Nakagawa (Yamanashi Gakuin)
Gitau (Nihon)
2. Toyo +1:04
3. Nihon +0:49
4. Waseda +0:32
5. Yamanashi Gakuin +0:28
6. Tokai +0:16
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7. Komazawa +0:04
8. Chuo +0:30
9. Chuo Gakuin +0:06
Daiichi Kogyo's anchor Kenyan Kariru is moving up from 10th.
Fukatsu into 5th.
Ozaki (Waseda) another 43 sec back in 4th.
Nakagawa has dropped Fukatsu. Chuo Gakuin's Kobayashi about 26 seconds behind Fukatsu - he might make 6th.
Waseda's Ozaki in big trouble in 4th - about to be caught by Yamanashi Gakuin's Nakagawa. Ozaki is holding his left side.
Toyo's Otsu in sight of 2nd place Meiji's Hosokawa with 3.5 km to go.
Toyo's anchor Otsu was the one who really broke Waseda in Hakone this year to make sure Toyo won.
Toyo 2nd in 5:24:39.
Meiji 3rd in 5:24:52 without top member Matsumoto (points to Mika for picking them)
5th - Yamanashi Gakuin - 5:26:05
6th - Chuo does it! - 5:26:26
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7th - Komazawa
8th - Chuo Gakuin
9th - Tokai
...and that's all she wrote.
I didn't realize Japan Running News has a twitter feed? If so will you put the address up?