Kanakuri crossing the finish line in Stockholm to "complete" five decade run in 1967.
RUNNING is a popular activity that more and more Malaysians are picking up these days. With more marathons and running events being organised almost every week, more and more runners are trying their best to beat their personal best timing, be it a 5km run or a full marathon of 42.195km.
So, runners would train to complete a run within the given qualifying time in the events, which for a full marathon, which can range between six and eight hours.
But would you believe there was an Olympian who took over 50 years to complete a marathon race?
Verdict:
TRUE
Yes, Japanese runner Shiso Kanakuri (1891 – 1983) completed a marathon in Stockholm, Sweden on March 20, 1967 - his race started in the same place during the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.
Hence, his finish time was 54 years 246 days 5 hours 32 minutes 20.3 seconds - And this time is listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest time to complete a marathon.
So, the question is, was he constantly running every single day for over half a century to achieve this record? No, but here's an interesting story of how Kanakuri achieved this weird record.
Known as the "father of the marathon" in Japan, Kanakuri was one of the two Japanase men qualified to represent the country at the Stockholm Games for the running event (the full length then was 40.2km).
When race day arrived (July 14, 1912), the odds were against Kanakuri (and other athletes competing). He had a long, exhausting journey to Sweden (a 17 day trip from Japan), needed to take care of his ill teammate, and had little time to train and acclimatise with the area, which had a temperature of 32°C.
To clarify how bad the race was, there were 68 participants at the start of the race and only 34 reached the finish line, and one Portuguese runner was reportedly hospitalised and died the following day.
However, Kanakuri soldiered on and participated in the marathon. But after running some 25km into the race, he stopped. Some reports suggested that he stopped by a garden party near the race route, while other reports noted that he collapsed and was rescued by a family living in a farm home along the route.
Either way, he was given food and shelter. The next day, he felt disappointed for not finishing the race, and quietly left for Japan without informing the Olympic or Swedish officials of his whereabouts.
As no one was able to find Kanakuri in Sweden, authorities declared him missing in the country, and this would remain so for over 50 years.
Upon his return, Kanakuri played an instrumental role in establishing the Tokyo-Hakone College Ekiden Race - a relay race designed for students has been credited for the popularisation of long-distance running in Japan (and earning him the title "father of the marathon").
Oddly enough, he would continue to represent the country in two other Olympic marathons - the 1920 Antwerp Olympics in Belgium (where he finished 16th place) and the 1924 Paris Olympics in France (where he failed to finish).
Years passed by - and while Kanakuri was still considered a missing person in Sweden, in 1967, TV channel Sveriges Television managed to track him down in Tamana, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan - where he worked as a geography teacher.
The Swedish television invited Kanakuri to return to Stockholm and complete the marathon. He agreed to it. On March 20, 1967, the then 75-year-old finally finished the race, more than five decades after he started it.
When asked for a comment about completing the race, he joked: "It was a long trip. Along the way, I got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren."
Perhaps after reading this story, you might be interested in running. If you want to prepare for a marathon, you can read the tips here: https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/health/2024/05/10/preparing-for-your-first-run
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