Fujita hits tape at Fukuoka marathon with national record

Fujita hits tape at Fukuoka marathon with national record

FUKUOKA, Japan - Atsushi Fujita hits the tape at Heiwadai stadium in Fukuoka on Dec. 3 to win the Fukuoka International Marathon in a national record time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 51 seconds. The previous best time for a Japanese marathoner was 2:06:57 set by Takayuki Inubushi in Berlin in September 1999.

Japan record holder Inubushi tests Sydney Olympic course

Japan record holder Inubushi tests Sydney Olympic course

SYDNEY, Australia - Japanese record holder Takayuki Inubushi on April 28 runs through a park that is part of the Sydney Olympic marathon course in preparation for the Host City Marathon on April 30, a rehearsal event for the marathon events at the Sept. 16-Oct. 1 Millennium Games.

Japanese marathon runners off for Sydney

Japanese marathon runners off for Sydney

NARITA, Japan - Japanese Olympic marathon runners wave hands as they leave for Sydney from Narita airport April 26 to run in the Host City Marathon scheduled for April 30. (2nd from L to R) Eri Yamaguchi, Shinji Kawashima, Nobuyuki Sato, Takayuki Inubushi and Kayoko Obata.

Japan record holder Inubushi tests Sydney Olympic course

Japan record holder Inubushi tests Sydney Olympic course

SYDNEY, Australia - Japanese record holder Takayuki Inubushi on April 28 runs through a park that is part of the Sydney Olympic marathon course in preparation for the Host City Marathon on April 30, a rehearsal event for the marathon events at the Sept. 16-Oct. 1 Millennium Games.

Fujita hits tape at Fukuoka marathon with national record

Fujita hits tape at Fukuoka marathon with national record

FUKUOKA, Japan - Atsushi Fujita hits the tape at Heiwadai stadium in Fukuoka on Dec. 3 to win the Fukuoka International Marathon in a national record time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 51 seconds. The previous best time for a Japanese marathoner was 2:06:57 set by Takayuki Inubushi in Berlin in September 1999.

Four more named to Japan's six-member Olympic marathon squad

Four more named to Japan's six-member Olympic marathon squad

TOKYO, Japan - Naoko Takahashi (bottom R) and Takayuki Inubushi (top C) were named March 13 to Japan's six-member Olympic marathon squad along with Shinji Kawashima (top R) and Eri Yamaguchi (bottom C). The four will join Nobuyuki Sato (top L) and Ari Ichihashi (bottom L) who had been given tentative approval for the Olympic team last summer after winning medals in the athletics world championships in Spain.