Skip to main content

Yu Mitsuya Announces Retirement

http://gazoo.com/my/sites/0001453813/toyokyu/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=2116

translated and edited by Brett Larner
click here for these and more photos from hosts Life Style Running and the Toyota Kyushu Booster Club

Toyota Kyushu member Samuel Wanjiru pacing training partner Mitsuya in June, 2005

There was a major announcement at the post-race reception at a hotel in Takasaki following the New Year Ekiden.  After a 12-year career at the Koichi Morishita-coached Toyota Kyushu corporate team where he leaves a record of achievement including two World Championships teams and numerous track and ekiden records, Yu Mitsuya announced that he will retire from competition at the end of this season.  Other athletes quickly surrounded Mitsuya to throw him into the air in premature celebration.

Wanjiru and Mitsuya on the way to Mitsuya's 27:41.10 Japanese-soil record in June, 2005

Mitsuya currently plans for his final race to be the Feb. 21 Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet at Uminonakamichi Kaihin Park.  The Toyota Kyushu team plans to hold a retirement ceremony for Mitsuya following the race, so to all Toyota fans, please do not leave after the race but stay around for the ceremony.

Wanjiru and Mitsuya in Wanjiru's home in Kenya in May, 2010

Yu Mitsuya's Major Career Achievements
10000 m: 27:41.10 - all-time Japanese #7, at the time all-time #3 and fastest-ever by a Japanese man on Japanese soil
5000 m: 13:18.32 - all-time Japanese #4, at the time all-time #2, still the fastest-ever by a Japanese man on Japanese soil
2012 Asian Cross-Country Championships - 7th
2009 Kumanichi 30 km Road Race - 1st
2009 National Men's Ekiden Third Stage - 1st
2007 Osaka World Championships
2005 Helsinki World Championships
2005 Japanese 10000 m national champion

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

Currently the #10-ranked Japanese man in the marathon with the fastest-ever domestic time at the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) made his international debut at Sunday's Copenhagen Marathon , literally an international debut as it was his first time outside the country. Ichiyama hoped to be in contention to break the 2:08:23 CR and go for the win, and with cool and breezy conditions ran easy in the lead group through 30 km. But something ate away at almost everyone as time went by, several people in the lead men's and women's groups saying humidity, and past 30 km Ichiyama fell off. Falling as low as 9th, he rallied after 40 km to finish 8th in 2:13:07. "It was different than in Japanese races," he said. "I'm used to bigger packs and more even pacing, but this was a kind of racing I hadn't done before. There's a lot to think about. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, but I got really thirsty and started sk

Goshima and Kasai Win 10000 m National Titles, Maeda Breaks U20 Asian Record

Rino Goshima and Jun Kasai stepped up with PBs to win the 2024 National Championships 10000 m titles Friday at Shizuoka's Ecopa Stadium. In the women's race, Goshima, 4th in last December's 2023 National Championships 10000 m, went out front from the start with Kenyan teammate Judy Jepngetich pacing and 2023 3rd-placer Haruka Kokai in tow. Things were never on track to hit the 30:40.00 Paris Olympics standard, but except for a brief dip to 3:08 at 7000 m Goshima held steady at 3:05 to 3:06/km even as Kokai and Jepngetich fell off. With blood dripping from her left knee after getting spiked by Jepngetich, Goshima closed in 3:03 to take 5 seconds off her best from December's Nationals and win in 30:53.31, moving up to all-time Japanese #6. Jepngetich also PBd at 31:09.42 without counting in the standings, with Kokai 2nd in 31:10.53 and Kazuna Kanetomo 3rd in a PB 31:59.29. The runner-up last time, Yuka Takashima was last in 33:33.27. The men's race went out in a

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam