, born as , (February 8, 1956 – June 27, 2009) was a Japanese

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 ...

. She was a high school teacher in Ōfunato, Iwate when she set a Japanese record of 2:40:56 at the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

in 1981. She quit running as an amateur and began her professional career with the S & B Foods Inc. Athletic Club, which included among its members her coach, Kiyoshi Nakamura, and

Toshihiko Seko is a Japanese former long-distance runner. He was a world-class marathon competitor in the 1980s. He represented his native country at the 1984 and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Seko's notable marathon wins include Fukuoka Mara ...

, then one of the top marathon runners in the world. She set a new Japanese record of 2:35:00 at the Christchurch Marathon in June 1982. She won the

Tokyo International Women's Marathon The Tokyo International Women's Marathon was a marathon for female elite runners held in Tokyo from 1979 until 2008 in November. It was first held in November 1979, and this race was the first women's marathon officially sanctioned by the Inte ...

in 1983, and she represented Japan at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, finishing the race in 19th place, at 2:37:04. She retired from competition after setting her personal best time of 2:33:57 at the

Nagoya Marathon The , named until the 2010 race, is an annual marathon race for female runners over the classic distance of 42 km and 195 metres, held in Nagoya, Japan in early March every year. It holds World Athletics Platinum road race status. It i ...

in March 1995, and she then served as a coach at the S & B Athletic Club for a while. On June 29, 2009, Japanese news media reported that she died on June 27 at the age of 53 due to

colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...

.Olympic marathon runner Nagata dies at 53
dated 29 June 2009

Achievements

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sasaki, Nanae 1956 births 2009 deaths Japanese female long-distance runners Olympic female long-distance runners Olympic female marathon runners Olympic athletes for Japan Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Japan Championships in Athletics winners Nippon Sport Science University alumni Deaths from cancer in Japan Deaths from colorectal cancer 20th-century Japanese women 21st-century Japanese women