At the Aomori Masters Track and Field Meet on the Sept. 19 public holiday in Hirosaki, Aomori, a group of local men in their 90s set new men's 90-94 pending world records of 1:33.52 for 4x100 m relay and 9:23.29 for the 4x400 m. Both marks bettered the world records the same group set last year and are expected to be ratified as official world records by World Masters Athletics.
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The meet took place in excellent conditions on a perfect day with partly sunny skies and no wind. The 4x100 m featured rookie Nobuo Miura, 90, a professional Noh performer, on the third leg. With the fresh blood he brought to the team they sliced over 10 seconds off last year's world record. The crowd at the track included former students from Miura's days as a high school teacher, there to cheer him on in his debut with the team. "I was a bit nervous," he said, "but I just went out there and ran my own race."
The 4x400 m featured the same lineup as last year, Matashiro Suruga, 93, running first and followed by Yuzo Kudo, 93, Kozo Mitsuya, 91, and anchor Hiro Tanaka, 91. With skillful baton work, they cut over 30 seconds off last year's official record of 9:56.36 set in August, 2021. But the new record was still short of the 8:49.01 they ran in May, 2021 that was not certified due to a lack of competition.
A specialist in long distance, Suruga ran well on the lead leg in both races. "They were the best starts I've ever had," he said. Kudo, whose 94th birthday on Sept. 21 will make him the oldest member of the team, was stable in both races. "I need to do more core training so I can keep running in the 95-99 age group," he said of his future goals.
Back in action after health issues last year, Mitsuya made a key contribution to the new record with his strong running. "I came here to make a comeback," he said with enthusiasm. "But next year I won't be resting on my laurels."
Anchoring both races to the cheering and support of younger athletes, Tanaka said, "I want to thank my teammates for their hard work and the community for its support. I hope that seeing us run can be an opportunity for people to take stock of their own health and to work hard toward their own goals."
translated and edited by Brett Larner
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