Skip to main content

Yoshihisa Hosaka Gets World Record #3 at Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon (updated)

by Brett Larner

photo (c) 2009 Mika Tokairin

A year after his 60+ world record of 2:36:30 at the 2009 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Yoshihisa Hosaka did it again with a 2:38:12 world record for the 61 year old bracket at this year's Beppu-Oita on Feb. 7. Hosaka's time breaks the existing world record, set by Wil van der Lee of the Netherlands at the 1991 Amsterdam Marathon, by a slim 20 second margin. Hosaka now holds the world record for three consecutive age brackets.

59 - 2:34:23, Fukuoka 2008
60 - 2:36:30, Beppu-Oita 2009
61 - 2:38:12, Beppu-Oita 2010

In this year's race Hosaka started conservatively compared to his previous two world record runs, clocking consistent mid-37 minute 10 km splits through 30 km and hitting halfway in 1:18:26. By comparison, at this past December's 2009 Fukuoka International Marathon, a few weeks before his 61st birthday, Hosaka went through halfway in 1:15:48. In Beppu-Oita he slowed significantly between 30 and 35 km but managed to rally and claim the record with a 1:19:46 second half. "I ran as hard as I could to get this world record and I'm very happy with it," Hosaka told JRN. He will next run the Tokyo Marathon on Feb. 28.


Yoshihisa Hosaka sets the 60+ world record of 2:36:30 at the 2009 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon. Photo courtesy of Yoshihisa Hosaka.

Update: A summary of Hosaka's last few marathons:

2:38:12 - Beppu-Oita 2/7/10 (age 61)
2:40:39 - Fukuoka, 12/6/09 (age 60)
2:41:15 - Hokkaido, 8/30/09 (age 60)
2:39:33 - L.A., 5/25/09 (age 60)
2:40:16 - Nagano, 4/19/09 (age 60)
2:36:30 - Beppu-Oita, 2/1/09 (age 60)
2:34:23 - Fukuoka, 12/7/08 (age 59)

There are probably a few more in there that I don't know about.

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Jon in Tokyo said…
Amazing.
Something for all Nambanners to aim at in the future.
February 8, 2010 at 8:50 AM
Samurai Running said…
Yes Jon,

All runners now have something to think about. And thanks Brett for your continued promotion of Mr. Hosaka. He really is an inspiration. And a nice guy to boot, I've heard from Bob, et al.
February 8, 2010 at 9:15 AM
Matt said…
Great performance. It is amazing the stress load the human body can handle at older ages. I look forward to seeing Yoshihisa run more records in the future.
February 9, 2010 at 2:20 AM
Michael Quispe said…
I passed him in Boston this year and immediately wondered if it was him. Checked the results and sure enough, there he was. Amazing guy!
April 27, 2010 at 1:25 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Can Meijo Make it 8-Straight? Morinomiyako Ekiden Preview

Sunday's Morinomiyako Ekiden in Sendai is one of the two big national-level ekidens on the collegiate women's ekiden circuit. This is the era of Meijo University , who have won the last seven Morinomiyako titles and the last six at December's Mt. Fuji. Women's Ekiden , and just about the only real story here is whether anyone can stop them. Five out the six members of last year's winning team, Nanaka Yonezawa , Kaede Rikimaru , Asuka Ishimatsu , Saki Harada , and Nanase Tanimoto , are back, and the only one missing, 2nd-year Naru Yabutani , finished the lowest on the team on her stage at 4th last time. Tanimoto, the only 4th-year on the team, has had more downs than ups this season, but that was true last year too and Meijo came through. Perpetual 2nd-placer Daito Bunka University was only 52 seconds behind over the 38.0 km Morinomiyako course, and that was with one of its runners finishing only 12th on her stage. Its entire 2023 lineup is back, led by 2nd-year S
Post a Comment
Read more

Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Assaulting Female Runner at Popular Tokyo Running Spot

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female runner along the banks of the Tama River in Ota Ward, Tokyo. "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go for a walk and move my body a bit," the man told police. Local resident Hirai Muroyama , 20, of no known occupation, was arrested on charges of sexual assault. He is accused of acts including grabbing the breasts of a woman in her 20s at around 10 p.m. on May 31 along the banks of the Tama River. According to police, the woman was taking a break in her run when Muroyama approached her silently from behind and grabbed her breasts before running away. Under police interrogation Muroyama told investigators, "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go out for a walk and move my body. I'd had a few drinks and was feeling pretty hype. She was totally my type." source article: https://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newsey
Post a Comment
Read more

Shiori Nagumo Makes It to Queens Ekiden Two Years After Giving Birth

Kagoshima's Higo Ginko women's corporate team ran Sunday's Princess Ekiden in a successful shot at making November's Queens Ekiden national championship. On its roster was a runner who looks forward to taking her daughter to the big show. Handling First Stage duties for the Higo Ginko team, Shiori Nagumo 's driving force was her 2-year-old daughter Itoha Nagumo . Shiori, 29, brings Itoha with her on team training camps and to races. When Shiori trains, Itoha is there to give her water. "It's a good thing, you know," said Higo Ginko head coach Shigeharu Watanabe , 55. "Even after becoming a mother, she's still able to focus on being an athlete." Shiori was once a key member of the top-tier Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo team, but she retired to give birth. Afterward she still felt motivated to return to running, and when her former Mitsui Sumitomo coach Watanabe got in touch she agreed to join Higo Ginko in July last year. "It's not easy
1 comment
Read more