The True Reason Why Kawauchi, Who Has Won 50 Full Marathons, Keeps Running
Five years have passed since Kawauchi turned professional after working as a civil servant for the Saitama Prefectural Government. An iron man who competes in races all over the world, he is still growing as a "wall of young talent.
I am motivated by rebelliousness. When I was young, I didn’t want to be beaten by the paid runners in the business world, and I’ve been running with that feeling in mind.
It was the Tokyo Marathon in 2011 that made Kawauchi Yuhki, 36, a household name. The “civil servant runner,” who has won marathons nationwide while working as a civil servant for the Saitama Prefectural Government, broke the entry standard for the World Championships in Athletics and placed third, causing a media frenzy that swept into his workplace.
After establishing himself as one of the strongest citizen runners in the world as an amateur, including three appearances in the World Championships in Athletics, he turned professional in 1919. He won the Mie Matsusaka Marathon on December 17 last year, bringing his total number of full marathon victories to 50.
Most of the athletes I compete against in races have gone on to prestigious industrial companies such as Honda and Fujitsu, as well as strong schools in the Hakone Ekiden. On the other hand, I think I have a strange career path from Gakushuin University, which is not a powerhouse, to the Saitama Prefectural Government…… (laughs). Even so, I was able to break 2 hours and 20 minutes nearly 120 times and was recognized by Guinness World Records.”
At the Marathon Grand Championship (MGC), the preliminary selection race for the Paris Olympics held last October, he jumped out at the start and ran solo. Although he eventually finished in fourth place, he continued to lead the race until the 35-kilometer mark and once again attracted attention. Although he narrowly missed out on a spot on Japan’s team for the Paris Olympics, he is still going strong.
