Skip to main content

Guinness Certifies Kawauchi's World Record 78 Career Sub-2:20 Marathons After Half Marathon in Panda Costume


Known as the Civil Servant Runner, Saitama Prefectural Government employee Yuki Kawauchi's career record of 78 sub-2:20 marathons was officially recognized as the Guinness World Record at a ceremony in his hometown of Kuki, Saitama on Mar. 25.  Raised in Kuki, Kawauchi began working for the Saitama Prefectural Government after graduating from university. Running while working full-time as a civil servant, he has qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic trial race.

Earlier this month on the 18th Kawauchi ran Taiwan's Wan Jin Shi Marathon, winning in 2:14:12. His 78th time running faster than 2 hours and 20 minutes, his achievement was certified as the official Guinness World Record. He actually broke the previous record on Jan. 1 at the Marshfield New Year's Day Marathon in the U.S.A. with his 76th sub-2:20 but followed up with two performances, one in February and the other last week, before Guinness could ratify the record.

The official recognition ceremony took place Mar. 25 in Kuki. Kawauchi smiled as he received the certificate, commenting, "My style of training involves me running about ten marathons a year, and thanks to that I was able to set this world record. I'm very happy to have been recognized as the Guinness World Record holder, but I'm not satisfied with 78 times. I'd like to take it further, to 100 times or even more."

The ceremony followed Kawauchi's appearance at his hometown Kuki Half Marathon, the same race where he previously set an unofficial world record for the half marathon in a three-piece suit.A day after running 3 x 5000 m at the Heisei Kokusai University Time Trials meet, this year Kawauchi ran the Kuki Half in a full-length panda costume, outkicking his younger brother Yoshiki Kawauchi to finish 2nd overall in 1:10:03 only 40 seconds behind winner Takemaru Yamazaki. Kawauchi changed into regular clothes before being recognized for his world record.


source articles:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20180325/k10011378301000.html
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20180325-00000100-spnannex-spo
translated and edited by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Juntendo University Legendary Coach Sawaki Steps Down Amid Abuse Allegations After 4 Athletes Taken to Hospital - "This is the Way We've Always Done It"

Juntendo University is one of the true powers of the Hakone Ekiden, with 11 wins in 65 appearances and producing current 3000 mSC and 10000 m national record holders Ryuji Miura and Kazuya Shiojiri . But an investigation by the Weekly Shincho gossip rag has uncovered students' accusations of abuse and power harassment against a famed honorary head coach. The university administration has acknowledged that student athletes were put in danger and indicated that the coach in question would step away from any coaching duties. The accused man is Keisuke Sawaki , 80, former head coach of the Juntendo track and field team and currently serving as a specially-appointed professor and honorary head coach at the university. A Juntendo alumnus and two-time Olympian who competed in long distance track events at both the 1968 Mexico City and 1972 Munich Olympics, as head coach Sawaki led Juntendo to 9 of its 11 Hakone victories. Those successes led to him serving at one point as executive dir
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

Kokusai Budo University Time Trials Meet Banned by IUAU for Incorrect Practices

The Inter-University Athletics Union of Japan  has announced that it has discovered a history of incorrect practices at meets hosted by the Kokusai Budo University track and field team at its home track. According to the IUAU, for a period running at least from April, 2014 through October, 2023, the following methodologies not in compliance with official regulations were common at KBU meets: When there was a headwind on the home straight of the track, the 100 m and 110 m hurdles, including those in combined events, were run in the opposite direction without proper certification to do so. In the 110 mH the distance from the start to the first hurdle, 13.72 m, is 30 cm shorter than from the 10th hurdle to the finish, 14.02 m. When KBU conducted the 110 mH in reverse it placed all hurdles 30 cm closer to the finish to account for that but measured the distance from the marks for the regular direction with a tape measure and marked it with tape. When races were run in the reverse directio
Post a Comment
Read more