At Saturday's Saga Long Distance Time Trials at Saga Sunrise Park Field, Aritacho resident Yoshitsugu Iwanaga, 60, ran 33:39.52 to break the 10000 m world record for the men's 60-64 age group. Running alongside athletes bound for the National High School Ekiden and New Year Ekiden his pace was fast from the start. Sustaining a pace around 3:20 per 1000 m, with a last surge he took over 18 seconds off the previous 60+ record of 33:57.6 set in 2013 by a British runner.
"I haven't run that fast before so it was challenging, but I'm glad I was able to get the world record," Iwanaga said afterward. At age 50 when he broke the Japanese men's 50+ national record for 10000 m Iwanaga set out on an enthusiastic pursuit of a world record. In September he broke the 60+ world record for 3000 m and earlier this month did the same for the 5000 m world record, making this his third world record once the certification process is completed. Asked about his future goals Iwanaga said, "To break my own record."
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translated and edited by Brett Larner
Comments
To me this is the heart of Japanese running, the amateur, not the Kanto universities all good, not the corporate runners, all good, but the real heart of Japanese running is the amateurs, and not just the record breakers like above but the grinders out there every morning and every night.
Of course Japan has found a way,except for the mass marathons and such, to keep going with all the track races, time trials, low key events and such, not to mention the major ekidens yet to take place.
And finally, no country in the world seems to embrace the 10,000 meter track race like Japan.
I guess all of you guys who can get to the time trials such as at Oda field are lucky and blessed to be able to do so much. Or the time trials all over Japan.
Again I don't think any country embraces time trials like Japan.
Japan right now is the running center of the virus situation.