Satoshi Irifune is a 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...

ese long-distance runner

Long-distance track event

Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...

 who specializes 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...

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In the 10,000 metres he finished 20th at the 1999 World Championships. He finished eighteenth at the 2000 World Half Marathon Championships

2000 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships

The 9th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on November 12, 2000 in the city of Veracruz, Mexico. A total of 182 athletes, 121 men and 61 women, from 52 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:...

, and in the marathon he finished 20th at the 2005 World Championships, fourth at the 2006 Asian Games

Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games

An Athletics competition was contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to December 12. Twenty-three events were contested for the men while 22 were on the slate for the women. Only the 3000 Meter Steeplechase was not contested for by the women...

and 14th at the 2009 World Championships

2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon

The Men's Marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 22, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Qualification standard:...

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His personal best times are 7:56.80 minutes in the 3000 metres

3000 metres

The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...

, achieved in June 2003 in Kushiro; 27:53.92 minutes in the 10,000 metres, achieved in May 2001 in Palo Alto; 1:01:36 hours in the half marathon

Half marathon

A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...

, achieved in April 2005 in Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi

is the capital city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 198,971 and a population density of 194.44 persons per km²...

; and 2:09:23 hours in the marathon, achieved in December 2008 in 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...

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Achievements

Representing
2000	World Half Marathon Championships 2000 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 9th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on November 12, 2000 in the city of Veracruz, Mexico. A total of 182 athletes, 121 men and 61 women, from 52 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:...	Veracruz Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...	18th	Half marathon
			4th	Team
2005	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...	Beppu-Ōita Oita -Companies:*Oita Asahi Broadcasting, a Japanese broadcast network in Oita Prefecture, Japan*Oita Broadcasting System, a television company based in Ōita Prefecture, Japan-Education:*Oita Junior College, a private junior college in Ōita, Ōita 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...	1st	Marathon	2:09:58