Skip to main content

Fukuoka 4th Placer Takada Ran With Encouragement From Best Friend Fujiwara

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/101205/oth1012052049039-n1.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner
photo by Dr. Helmut Winter

Passing former Hakone Ekiden star Masato Imai (Team Toyota Kyushu) at the last moment, Chiharu Takada (Team JR Higashi Nihon) finished 4th in yesterday's Fukuoka International Marathon, the top placing by a general division entrant. Despite the heat his time of 2:12:44 was a new PB by two minutes. "You never know what might happen until the end, so I'm really glad I didn't give up," Takada said after the race, showing obvious pleasure in his strong performance.

A native of Niigata prefecture, Takada, 29, graduated from Takushoku University before going on to JR Higashi Nihon. Experiencing knee pain in June, he recovered in time to do all his planned training for his main target race of the year, Fukuoka. A few days before the race he went out to eat with his best friend, his former Takushoku and JR teammate Arata Fujiwara (Remo System AC), a member of last year's World Championships marathon team and the top Japanese marathoner of the year. Fujiwara was very encouraging and motivating. "He told me that I was definitely going to run a good time," Takada said.

photo (c) and (p) 2010 Dr. Helmut Winter
all rights reserved

Comments

Most-Read This Week

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .

Japan's First Goldless Day - Asian Athletics Championships Day Four Highlights

Day 4 of the Bangkok Asian Athletics Championships was the first without a single gold medal going to Japan, but there were still enough silvers and bronzes to go around. Robyn Lauren Brown of the Philippines outclassed the rest of the women's 400 mH final field, taking gold in 57.50. Eri Utsunomiya and Ami Yamamoto made it a Japanese 2-3, Utsunomiya running 57.73 for silver and Yamamoto 57.80 for bronze. Yusaku Kodama also scored silver in the men's 400 mH, running 48.96 behind Qatari winner Bassem Hemeida 's 48.64. Yuki Yamasaki won bronze in the heptathlon with 5696 points, Uzbekistan's Ekaterina Voronina taking gold in 6098 and Swapna Barman silver in 5840. Teammate Karin Odama was 4th in 5487. Another bronze came in the mixed 4x400 m relay, with Japan running 3:15.71 behind India's 3:14.70 and Sri Lanka's 3:15.41. Naoto Hasegawa and Ryoichi Akamatsu both cleared 2.23 m in the men's high jump, Hasegawa finishing 4th overall and Akamatsu 5th. ...

'Kobe 2024: Monday Sees Shocking Wins on the Track and the Field'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-monday-sees-shocking-wins-track-and-field Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships  are here .