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 who specializes in the marathon.

He became Asian marathon champion in 2002. He won the bronze medal 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 finished sixth at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics

2007 World Championships in Athletics

The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...

, behind countryfellow Tsuyoshi Ogata

Tsuyoshi Ogata

is a Japanese long-distance athlete competing mainly in the marathon.In August 2003 he came twelfth at the 2003 World Championships in Paris. In August 2005 he won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki...

. He was qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games, but did not start.

His personal best time is 2:08:36 hours, achieved in March 2008 at the Ōtsu Marathon. 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...

 his personal best time is 1:02:24 hours, achieved in March 2007 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...

. He also has 28:34.63 minutes in the 10,000 metres, 13:49.95 minutes in the 5000 metres

5000 metres

The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...

 and 3:48.90 minutes in the 1500 metres

1500 metres

The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...

.

Achievements

Representing
2007	World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...	Osaka, Japan	6th	Marathon	2:18:06