Toru Terasawa

Toru Terasawa started his athletic career in handball, but quickly realized that his talents lay on the running track. After World War II, he was trained by Kohei Murakoso, who had come in fourth in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres events at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Terasawa, however, excelled at even longer distances and thus took up the marathon, winning his first major event, the Fukuoka Marathon, in 1962. The following year he won his first of four consecutive Beppu-Ōita Marathons while setting a world record of 2-15:16 that lasted several months, until bested by American Buddy Edelen. In addition to winning the Beppu-Ōita and Fukuoka marathons in 1964, he also represented Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, where he placed 15th.

Terasawa continued racing through the 1960s, winning additional marathons, most notably the 1969 Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon. He also come in third at the 1966 Boston Marathon. By the late 1960s, however, he had begun transitioning to coaching, which he would remain involved in through 2005, in addition to other forms of promoting the sport.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-13:41 (1965).