Kayoko Fukushi Hangs Them Up

It's the end of an era, really. Two months shy of her 40th birthday, Kayoko Fukushi retired yesterday after running the Osaka Half Marathon. Five of the other legends of Japanese women's long distance, Akemi Masuda, Yuko Arimori, Naoko Takahashi, Masako Chiba and Mizuki Noguchi, were there to celebrate a career spanning national records that have stood for over 20 years, still-standing championship ekiden stage records, possibly the most spectacular elite marathon debut in history, a World Championships marathon medal, and four-straight Olympic appearances.

For all that success, it always seemed to be there in the background that she wasn't able to break Yoko Shibui's 10000 m NR, and she seemed like a reluctant marathoner, at least until it was too late. In interviews Fukushi was always interesting, dropping in her sharp, dry wit whenever she could, and with any luck we'll be getting more of that in the commentary booth for years to come. Since the start of the super shoe era all her major records have been broken, but a quick look back at those accomplishments shows that Fukushi remains in a class of her own. Feel free to put your favorite memories of Fukushi in the comments.

PBs

3000 m - 8:44.40 (2002, age 20, former NR)

5000 m - 14:53.22 (2005, age 23, former NR)

10000 m - 30:51.81 (2002, age 20)

10 km - 31:57 (2010, age 27)

half-marathon - 1:07:26 (2006, age 23, former NR/AR)

marathon - 2:22:17 (2016, age 33)

National Records

5000 m U20 NR - 15:10.23 (2001, age 19)

10000 m U20 NR - 31:42.05 (2001, age 19)

3000 m U20 NR - 8:52.3 (2001, age 19) - current U20 NR

3000 m NR - 8:44.40 (2002, age 20)

5000 m NR - 15:02.08 (2002, age 20)

5000 m NR - 14:55.21 (2002, age 20)

5000 m NR - 14:55.19 (2002, age 20)

5000 m NR - 14:53.22 (2005, age 23)

half marathon (mixed) NR/AR - 1:07:26 (2006, age 23)

20 km (mixed) NR - 1:03:41 (2006, age 23)

15 km (mixed) NR - 46:55 (2006, age 23) - current NR

5 km (women-only) NR - 15:39 (2006, age 24) - current NR

National Championships

5000 m national champion - 2002, 2004-2007, 2010

10000 m national champion - 2002-2007, 2010

Major Ekidens

27 individual stage wins at major ekidens spanning 2000-2018

8 new individual stage CR at major ekidens

holds CR for National Women's Ekiden 10.0 km anchor stage - 30:52 (2004, age 21)

passed 15 or more people on a single stage twice

Main Marathon Results

3rd, 2011 Chicago Marathon - 2:24:38

1st, 2013 Osaka International Women's Marathon - 2:24:21

bronze, 2013 Moscow World Championships marathon - 2:27:45

1st, 2016 Osaka International Women's Marathon - 2:22:17

14th, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics marathon - 2:29:53

7th, 2019 Marathon Grand Championship Olympic trials - 2:33:29

Asian Games

silver, 2002 Busan Asian Games 10000 m- 30:51.81

silver, 2002 Busan Asian Games 5000 m - 14:55.19

gold, 2006 Doha Asian Games 10000 m - 31:29.38

World Championships

4th, 2000 Santiago de Chile World U20 Championships 5000 m F - 16:25.01

11th, 2003 Paris World Championships 10000 m F - 31:10.57

11th, 2003 Paris World Championships 5000 m H1 - 15:16.53

11th, 2005 Helsinki World Championships10000 m F - 31:39.98

12th, 2005 Helsinki World Championships 5000 m F - 14:59.92

6th, 2006 Fukuoka World Cross Country Championships 8 km - 25:51

6th, 2006 Debrecen World Road Running Championships 20 km - 1:05:32

9th, 2007 Osaka World Championships 10000 m F - 32:32.85

13th, 2007 Osaka World Championships 5000 m F - 15:19.40

9th, 2009 Berlin World Championships10000 m F - 31:23.49

bronze, 2013 Moscow World Championships marathon - 2:27:45

Olympics

26th, 2004 Athens Olympics 10000 m F - 33:48.66

9th, 2008 Beijing Olympics 10000 m F - 31:01.14

9th, 2008 Beijing Olympics 5000 m H2 - 15:20.46

10th, 2012 London Olympics 10000 m F - 31:10.35

8th, 2012 London Olympics 5000 m H1 - 15:09.31

14th, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics marathon - 2:29:53

Chepkirui Over Sato Again to Win 2nd-Straight Nagoya Women's Marathon, Chen Breaks Malaysian NR (updated)

This year's Nagoya Women's Marathon felt like a changing of the guard, with some the bigger domestic names over the last few years fading early and a lot of newer faces stepping up with quality debuts or second marathons. The front group was set to be paced for 2:20 flat with the 2nd group at 2:23:30 to hit the auto-qualifying time for the 2027 MGC Race, Japan's L.A. Olympics marathon trials race in Nagoya. Up front things went out OK, but after a 33:10 split at 10 km Ayuko Suzuki , 2:21:22 here 2 years ago, lost touch, ultimately finishing 23rd in 2:33:28. Windy conditions started to play with pacers' ability to keep things steady and the pace slowed majorly over the next 10 km, but even with a 34:05 second 10 km there were big-name casualties. 2024 Nagoya winner Yuka Ando was next to drop, ending up 17th in 2:30:32. NR holder Honami Maeda was next, followed quickly by Bahraini Kenyan Eunice Chumba and debuting Wakana Kabasawa . Maeda faded to 21st in 2:31:21, whil...

Nagoya Women's Marathon Preview and Streaming (updated)

Japan's winter marathon season of 6 major races in 7-straight weekends wraps up Sunday with the world's largest women-only marathon, the Nagoya Women's Marathon . The weather is looking pretty good, 6˚ at the start rising to 10˚ by the finish and sunny skies, but a moderate 7 m/s NW wind means a headwind finish that might impact the potential for some fast times. Official streaming kicks off at 9:00 a.m. local time. Live results will be here . Sheila Chepkirui won last year in 2:20:40, breaking away from Sayaka Sato and Eunice Chebichii Chumba at 30 km and hanging on for the win. Sato negative split a 2:20:59 PB for 2nd, Chumba fading to 3rd in 2:21:36. All 3 are back this time, but they have pretty serious competition from Aynalem Desta , 2:17:37 in Amsterdam last fall, and Selly Chepyego Kaptich , 2:20:03 in Barcelona 2023. And of course, Japanese NR holder Honami Maeda . Maeda ran 2:18:59 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2024 to make the Paris Oly...

How it Happened

Ancient History I went to Wesleyan University, where the legend of four-time Boston Marathon champ and Wes alum Bill Rodgers hung heavy over the cross-country team. Inspired by Koichi Morishita and Young-Cho Hwang’s duel at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics I ran my first marathon in 1993, qualifying for Boston ’94 where Bill was kind enough to sign a star-struck 20-year-old me’s bib number at the expo. Three years later I moved to Japan for grad school, and through a long string of coincidences I came across a teenaged kid named Yuki Kawauchi down at my neighborhood track. I never imagined he’d become what he is, but right from the start there was just something different about him. After his 2:08:37 breakthrough at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon he called me up and asked me to help him get into races abroad. He’d finished 3rd on the brutal downhill Sixth Stage at the Hakone Ekiden, and given how he’d run the hills in the last 6 km at Tokyo ’11 I thought he’d do well at Boston or New York. “I...

japan running news

Search This Blog