The nation's oldest marathon event marks a major milestone.
"Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon" to be held in Shiga Prefecture on the 28th.
The tournament, which started in 1946, shortly after the war, became a representative selection race for the Olympics and world championships, and top runners from Japan and overseas have fought a fierce battle, but the integration with the "Osaka Marathon" has been decided. This is the last time that the current course, which runs along the shores of Lake Biwa, will be held.
"Barefoot Abebe" runs fast
The tournament started in 1946.
Initially it was set in Osaka.
At the 16th Games in 1958, Abebe Bikila, who ran barefoot and won the gold medal at the Rome Olympics held the previous year, participated as an invited player.
The roadside was flooded with people trying to see "Barefoot Abebe" at a glance.
At that time, it was held in June, and Mr. Abebe showed an overwhelming run and won the championship even under adverse conditions of high temperature and humidity with a temperature of 26 degrees and a humidity of 77%.
Mr. Abebe won the tournament four years after Lake Biwa, and the scene is still imprinted on the hearts of the local Shiga people.
(* The image is Mr. Abebe who ran barefoot and won the gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics)
Seko's unpleasant memories
As a Japanese player, we must not forget Toshihiko Seko, who participated in the 43rd tournament in 1988.
Mr. Seko, who is currently the leader of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations' Marathon Strengthening Strategy Project, missed the Fukuoka International Marathon, which was positioned as the representative selection for the Seoul Olympics the previous year, due to injury.
For this reason, the Lake Biwa race was the last chance to qualify for the Olympics.
Under pressure, Mr. Seko, despite suffering from the wind peculiar to Lake Biwa, pulled away from 2nd place for nearly 3 minutes to win the championship and seized the position of representative.
However, because it was a mediocre record of 2 hours and 12 minutes, he became a representative of the Olympic Games in an uncluttered manner and received severe criticism.
Mr. Seko jokingly recalls, "I have no good memories," but it was definitely a tournament that will be remembered by the viewer.
Also as an opportunity for Olympic athletes
Even after entering Heisei, top runners have been demonstrating their power on the stage of Lake Biwa.
At the 58th tournament in 2003, Masakazu Fujiwara, who was 21 years old at the time, was ranked 3rd among the top Japanese athletes, and he was the representative of the world championship in 2 hours 8 minutes 12 seconds, which is still the highest record in Japan for the first marathon. I did.
Shogo Nakamura, who was later appointed as the representative of the men's marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, will participate in the 73rd tournament in 2018.
He became the top Japanese player in 7th place and advanced to the MGC = Marathon Grand Championship.
This race was the first marathon for Nakamura, and he paved the way for the Olympics with Lake Biwa as a foothold.
Who is the last person to engrave the name?
This tournament where great ancestors have spun history.
In order to increase the value of the event, the integration with the Osaka Marathon, which is attracting attention as a citizen's marathon, has been decided, and it will be the last time that the current course running on the shore of Lake Biwa will be contested.
Among the players who were planning to participate, the one who received the most attention was Nakamura, who grabbed the seat of the Tokyo Olympics, but it was announced that he would not be in perfect condition one week before the Games. ..
However, there are other attractive players in the lineup.
Yuki Kawauchi A turning point in life
One of them is Yuki Kawauchi, 33, who has participated in the world championships four times and was called the "strongest civil servant runner."
This is the fifth time he has participated, and the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon is said to be a milestone in his life.
In particular, I decided to turn professional, and at the 2019 tournament, the situation continued to be less than 2 hours and 10 minutes, and I was wondering if I could really become a professional, so I stood at the starting line. It was.
Even so, with his tenacious running, he marked the 2 hours and 9 minutes range and decided to represent the world championship.
At the end of my 10 years as a civil servant, I was able to run very well, and with this kind of power, I recall that it was a race that made me feel that I could become a professional and set a new record.
Satoru Shimomura Confidence and pride
The other is Satoru Shimomura, who is from Shiga prefecture.
This is his 18th appearance, and he is 46 years old.
The Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon is a tournament for top athletes, so it is eligible to participate within 2 hours and 30 minutes.
If you do not maintain high ability, you will not be able to stand on the starting line.
Shimomura, who works at a housing materials factory, has been training every year with the ultimate goal of participating in this race, even though his practice time is limited.
With the motto "Return firmly with solid running and tenacity", all 17 times so far have been completed.
It is no exaggeration to say that "Mr. Biwako" is a runner who runs on the last Lake Biwa road with pride, saying, "The course comes to my mind so much that I can run even if I close my eyes."
The people who support the tournament
The race that has been held at Lake Biwa for half a century has been supported by many people.
The police motorcycle members of the Shiga Prefectural Police Transportation Task Force, who lead the players, are also welcoming the tournament with special feelings.
The two 27-year-olds, Mr. Kohei Nishimura and Mr. Shinta Hayakawa, both play important roles.
The two have been having a hard time aiming for Koshien in the same high school baseball club.
On the day of the event, Chief Nishimura will check the distance to the players behind him, and Chief Hayakawa will ensure the safety ahead.
Mr. Nishimura
"I never dreamed of leading with my high school classmates. The tournament will be mainly for players, not us, so we want to do our best in terms of support. I'm thinking "
Of course, the main characters in the marathon are the athletes, but I hope that the two white-buy members who will lead the marathon while keeping the safety of the runners will also send a little ale.
Refrain from watching games along the road
The tournament will start at Ojiyama Athletics Stadium in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture at 9:15 am on the 28th.
A tournament that will reach a major milestone.
NHK will be broadcast on NHK General TV and Radio 1 as well as on NHK Plus.
As a countermeasure against the infection of the new coronavirus, it is required to refrain from watching games along the road, but I would like you to feel the thoughts of the players and locals.