The Longest Marathon: 54 years

A hundred years ago...

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Tsubasa: It took 18 days to reach Sweden from Japan. By Trans-Siberian Railway. It took him five days to recover when he arrived in Stockholm for the 1912 Olympic marathon.

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Akira: But you say he didn’t finish the race.

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Tsubasa: He keeled over, locals took care of him, and when he woke up the race was long finished. So embarrassed, he quietly returned to Japan.

1912 to 1967

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Akira: Just disappeared?

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Tsubasa: Then in 1967, a Swedish TV company invited him to complete the run. He did. Total time elapsed for the race: over 54 years.

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Voice-over

Shizo Kanakuri (1891-1983) competed in two more Olympic marathons: 1920 and 1924. He must have understood Murakami’s “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”

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