On Dec. 22 the Wacoal women's corporate team announced that former 5000 m and half marathon national record holder Kayoko Fukushi will retire after two final races in January, the National Women's Ekiden on Jan. 16 and the Osaka Half Marathon on Jan. 30. A four-time Olympian, Fukushi won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2013 Moscow World Championships and is a two-time winner of the Osaka International Women's Marathon. Her debut marathon in Osaka in 2008 remains one of the wildest and most memorable in elite marathoning history.
In a handwritten statement Fukushi wrote, "For these 22 years on the Wacoal team I've been nuts about running. I met a lot of people...there've been a lot of tears and a lot of laughs...so many different things every day. It really was an interesting career! Thanks to all of you who've supported me over the years. I really am grateful, from the heart. I'm going to run these last two races just like I always have, all-out and loving every minute of it, and I hope that you'll cheer for Kayoko Fukushi just like you always have."
Since the dawn of the current generation of shoe technology almost all of Fukushi's national records have been broken. Along with the road and 5 km and 15 km records, Fukushi's last remaining record on the track is the U20 3000 m record of 8:52.3 that she set in 2001, a testament to her longevity. Post-retirement she will continue to work as part of the Wacoal team in a yet to be announced position.
© 2021 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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