Kurao Hiroshima
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
long-distance runner who specialised in the marathon
. Born in Kitago, Higashiusuki District, Miyazaki
, he went on to represent his country twice at the Olympic Games
: he finished 33rd in the marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics and returned for the same event four years later at the 1960 Rome Olympics, taking 31st position with a time of 2:29:40.
Outside of the Olympics, Hiroshima experienced much success on the Japanese marathon circuit. He made his first impact at the Japanese national championships: becoming the national champion for the first time in Tokyo
in 1953 and for a second time in Fukuoka
in 1955. Between 1953 and 1959 he often registered within the world's top twenty fastest marathon runners of the year. He was a three-time winner of the Lake Biwa Marathon
, with victories in 1955, 1957 and 1959.
His achievements at the Fukuoka Marathon
singled him out as one of the best Japanese runners of his generation: his winning time of 2:21:40 in 1957 was a new Japanese record
, the fifth fastest in the world that year. He became the first runner to win twice in Fukuoka when he took the title again two years later.
At the Beppu-Ōita Marathon
, he was also the first athlete to win on multiple occasions (in 1956 and 1958). He also proved himself adept at the 20 kilometres distance when he won the Kashima Yutoku 20K in both 1955 and 1957.
Although Hiroshima was largely focused on running in Japan throughout his career, he competed at the Boston Marathon
in 1954 and just missed out on a podium place in fourth position.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
long-distance runner who specialised in the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
. Born in Kitago, Higashiusuki District, Miyazaki
Higashiusuki District, Miyazaki
Higashiusuki is a district located in Miyazaki, Japan.As of 2006, the district has an estimated population of 31,269 and the density of 24.18 persons per km²...
, he went on to represent his country twice at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
: he finished 33rd in the marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics and returned for the same event four years later at the 1960 Rome Olympics, taking 31st position with a time of 2:29:40.
Outside of the Olympics, Hiroshima experienced much success on the Japanese marathon circuit. He made his first impact at the Japanese national championships: becoming the national champion for the first time in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1953 and for a second time in Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
in 1955. Between 1953 and 1959 he often registered within the world's top twenty fastest marathon runners of the year. He was a three-time winner of the Lake Biwa Marathon
Lake Biwa Marathon
The held in Otsu, Shiga, is one of the prominent Japanese marathon races of the year. It is a male only competition and has IAAF Gold Label status. First held in 1946 and having taken place every year since then, it is Japan's oldest annual marathon race...
, with victories in 1955, 1957 and 1959.
His achievements at the Fukuoka Marathon
Fukuoka Marathon
The , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the...
singled him out as one of the best Japanese runners of his generation: his winning time of 2:21:40 in 1957 was a new Japanese record
Japanese records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Japan maintained by Japan's Association of Athletics Federations .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distance# = not officially ratified...
, the fifth fastest in the world that year. He became the first runner to win twice in Fukuoka when he took the title again two years later.
At the Beppu-Ōita Marathon
Beppu-Ōita Marathon
The ' is an annual men's marathon race that takes place every February between the cities of Beppu and Ōita on the island of Kyushu in Japan. First held in 1952 as a 35 km race, the looped marathon course begins at the bottom of Takasaki Mountain and reaches Beppu's Kankoko International Port...
, he was also the first athlete to win on multiple occasions (in 1956 and 1958). He also proved himself adept at the 20 kilometres distance when he won the Kashima Yutoku 20K in both 1955 and 1957.
Although Hiroshima was largely focused on running in Japan throughout his career, he competed at the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in 1954 and just missed out on a podium place in fourth position.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Representing 1955 Mainichi Marathon Lake Biwa MarathonThe held in Otsu, Shiga, is one of the prominent Japanese marathon races of the year. It is a male only competition and has IAAF Gold Label status. First held in 1946 and having taken place every year since then, it is Japan's oldest annual marathon race...Ōsaka, Japan Osakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...1st 2:26:32 1956 Beppu-Ōita Marathon Beppu-Ōita MarathonThe ' is an annual men's marathon race that takes place every February between the cities of Beppu and Ōita on the island of Kyushu in Japan. First held in 1952 as a 35 km race, the looped marathon course begins at the bottom of Takasaki Mountain and reaches Beppu's Kankoko International Port...Beppu-Ōita Oita, Oitais the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...1st 2:26:24 1957 Mainichi Marathon Lake Biwa MarathonThe held in Otsu, Shiga, is one of the prominent Japanese marathon races of the year. It is a male only competition and has IAAF Gold Label status. First held in 1946 and having taken place every year since then, it is Japan's oldest annual marathon race...Ōsaka, Japan Osakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...1st 2:31:20 Fukuoka Marathon Fukuoka MarathonThe , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the...Fukuoka, Japan 1st 2:21:40 1958 Beppu-Ōita Marathon Beppu-Ōita MarathonThe ' is an annual men's marathon race that takes place every February between the cities of Beppu and Ōita on the island of Kyushu in Japan. First held in 1952 as a 35 km race, the looped marathon course begins at the bottom of Takasaki Mountain and reaches Beppu's Kankoko International Port...Beppu-Ōita Oita, Oitais the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...1st 2:25:16 1959 Mainichi Marathon Lake Biwa MarathonThe held in Otsu, Shiga, is one of the prominent Japanese marathon races of the year. It is a male only competition and has IAAF Gold Label status. First held in 1946 and having taken place every year since then, it is Japan's oldest annual marathon race...Ōsaka, Japan Osakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...1st 2:30:06 Fukuoka Marathon Fukuoka MarathonThe , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the...Fukuoka, Japan 1st 2:29:34
Personal bests
| Event | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Race | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon Marathon The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race... |
2:21:40 | Fukuoka Marathon Fukuoka Marathon The , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the... |
Fukuoka Fukuoka Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
1 December 1957 |
External links
- Biography and photo from Miyazaki Prefecture website