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66-Year-Old Mariko Yugeta Runs 3:09:29 in Osaka

The Osaka International Women's Marathon, a selection race for September's Tokyo World Championships, took place Jan. 26 starting and finishing at Osaka's Nagai Stadium. In the field was 65-69 age group world record holder Mariko Yugeta, 66. Amid cold winds blowing through the city she ran 3:09:29. "I don't want to say that it's because I'm getting older, but this is getting more and more demanding and it's getting harder for my body to keep up with it," she said.

After finishing the first thing Yugeta said was, "That was a bit disappointing...." with a pained look on her face. Her goal had been to break the 3:01:28 world record she set in the 65-69 age group at last year's Tokyo Marathon. "It was hard out there today," she said with a laugh. "Somebody told me that I look pale."

A track runner in university, Yugeta ran her first marathon at the old Tokyo International Women's Marathon when she was 24. After that she left the sport for more than 10 years to focus on work and raising a family and didn't run again until she was almost 40. With more time once she was in her 50s and her children were grown, she started training again seriously.

In 2017 at age 58 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon she achieved her longtime goal of breaking 3 hours. At the 2019 Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathon she ran 2:59:15, becoming the first woman age 60 or older to break 3. At the 2021 Osaka International Women's Marathon she took that even further with a 2:52:13 world record, making her a legend among amateur runners.

Yugeta retired from her job after turning 65 last year, but she still continues to teach part-time. In 2023 she appeared on the popular TV show "Tetsuko's Room." At Osaka this time there were cheers in the stadium as she came to the finish line, and on the online streaming commentator Akemi Masuda said, "She's amazing! 66 years old!"

Although she is getting older, Masuda's ambition hasn't faded. A staple of her training for years has been long runs at a fast pace. "I get injured when I do intervals," she said, "so my main workout is fast runs at 4:30 to 4:40/km." But after her result this time she said she needs to change her approach. "My muscle strength has declined since I turned 60, so I need to add strength training."

Marathon season is winding up into full swing, and Yugeta plans to run both February's Himeji Castle Marathon and March's Nagoya Women's Marathon. It's a full schedule, but she is confident about her goals. "Nagoya is an official masters' race, so I'll be targeting a new world record there," she said. As every year passes Yugeta's drive to go faster only gets stronger. Her one-of-a-kind journey is still far from reaching its destination.

photo © 2021 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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translated by Brett Larner

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