Berlin marathon 2012 buelowstrasse between kilometers 36 and 37 30

Masakazu Fujiwara (born 6 March 1981 in

Ōkawachi, Hyōgo was a town located in Kanzaki District, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 5,213 and a density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The ...

), in Japanese 藤原正和, is

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

, who specializes in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

. He has a personal best of 2:08:12 hours for the event. He was the 2013 Japanese champion in the marathon and won the 2010

Tokyo Marathon The is an annual marathon sporting event in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. It is a World Athletics Platinum Label marathon and one of the six World Marathon Majors. The latest edition of the race took place on . It is sponsored by Tokyo Metro. H ...

. He trains at

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

Sports team. He graduated from

Chuo University , commonly referred to as or , is a private flagship research university in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1885 as Igirisu Hōritsu Gakkō (the English Law School), Chuo is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the country. The univer ...

, where he competed in

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

. He ran an Asian junior record of 28:17.38 minutes for the

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

. He participated four times in the

Hakone Ekiden , officially called the , is one of the most prominent university ''ekiden'' (relay marathon) races of the year held between Tokyo and Hakone in Japan on January 2 and 3. The race is telecast on Nippon Television. This two-day race from Ōtemachi ...

. He won the half marathon at the 2001 Summer Universiade in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. In 2003 he began to compete in

, he finished third with a time of 2:08:12 at the 2003

Lake Biwa Marathon The was a marathon race held in Otsu, Shiga, Japan. It was one of the prominent marathons in Japan. It was a male only competition and had IAAF Gold Label status.Nakamura, Ken (2010-03-07)Tsegay takes Lake Biwa crown IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-08 ...

. This was the fastest ever debut for a Japanese runner. He represented Japan at the marathon at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, but he could not complete the event due to a knee injury. After this rapid ascent, he stagnated as a runner in the following years. Highlights of this period include a runner-up finish at the 2005 Ome 30 km Road Race and a fourth-place finish at the

Asian Cross Country Championships The Asian Cross Country Championships is a biennial regional cross country running competition for athletes from Asia. It is organised by the Asian Athletics Association and was first held in 1991 in Fukuoka, Japan. The competition has been held e ...

in 2007, where he led Japan to the team bronze. He started well at the 2008 Lake Biwa Marathon but faded in the second half to ninth place. His career began to turn around in 2010. That year he won the

with a time of 2:12:19 hours, beating his namesake

Arata Fujiwara is a Japanese marathon runner. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics held in Berlin, Germany, Fujiwara finished 61st in the men's marathon in a time of two hours, thirty-one minutes and ten seconds. He represented Japan at the 2012 S ...

in wet conditions. He ran at the

2010 Berlin Marathon The 37th Berlin Marathon took place on Sunday 26 September 2010 on the streets of Berlin, Germany. The competition was sponsored by German retailer ''real,-'' and it was the third World Marathon Major of the year, as well as being an IAAF Gold Labe ...

later that year and ranked in the top ten with a time of 2:12:00 hours (his best in seven years). He missed 2011 due to injury. On his return in 2012 he managed only 31st at the Tokyo Marathon but clocked 2:11:31 hours for tenth at the

2012 Berlin Marathon The 2012 Berlin Marathon was the 39th edition of the annual marathon event and was held on Sunday 30 September on the streets of Berlin, Germany. An IAAF Gold Label Road Race, it was the third World Marathon Majors event to be held that year. Geoff ...

. Ten years after his record debut run, he returned to Lake Biwa and dipped under two hours and ten minutes for the first time in a decade. His run of 2:08:51 was enough for fourth place and as the first Japanese he won his first national title in the marathon.Nakamura, Ken (2013-03-03)
Kipruto out-sprints Jufar to win Lake Biwa Marathon
IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-03-04.

Personal bests

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...

- 13:52.81 min (2007) *

- 28:17.38 min (2000) *

Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

- 1:02:23 hrs (2004) *

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

- 2:08:12 hrs (2003)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fujiwara, Masakazu 1981 births Living people Japanese male long-distance runners Japanese male marathon runners Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Universiade gold medalists for Japan Medalists at the 2001 Summer Universiade World Athletics Championships athletes for Japan Japan Championships in Athletics winners Tokyo Marathon male winners Chuo University alumni 20th-century Japanese people 21st-century Japanese people