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

Hakone Champ AGU Hits 50 km a Day in Spring Break Training Camp

Having scored its 3rd-straight Hakone Ekiden win this past January, Aoyama Gakuin University spent the Golden Week spring holidays training on the Myoko Plateau in Niigata from May 2-6. Along with the champion men's ekiden team, the first 2 members of AGU's new women's long distance team Nodoka Ashida and Kairi Ikeno , and AGU alumni and 2026 New Year Ekiden champion GMO team members Yuya Yoshida and Asahi Kuroda also took part in the training camp. Depending on the day's training schedule, mileage at the camp was over 50 km a day. AGU men's captain Kaito Nakamura confidently said, "This Golden Week training camp is where we lay the foundations for our 4th-straight Hakone title." A lot of people spend Golden Week on vacation, but the AGU ekiden team spent their time working hard on Myoko's rolling land amid the sprouting leaves of spring. On the 2nd day of the camp, May 3, team members woke up at 5:00 a.m. to do their warmup. The team assembled a...

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