64-year-old runner runs three marathons in two weeks

"Yugeta is a well-known runner in the Japanese running community and she continues to prove that age is just a number," commented Canadian Running Magazine.

On February 26, Yugeta finished first in the 60-64 age group with a time of 3 hours 4 minutes 47 (3:04:57) at Himeji Castle Marathon.

On March 5, the runner won her age group for the fourth year in a row at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, with a time of 3:04:18.

A week later, Yugeta again reached sub3:05 (under 3 hours and 5 minutes), when continuing to finish first in the age group with 3:04:30 at the Nagoya Women's Marathon.

Yugeta is the first female runner over 60 to run a sub3 marathon, holding the world record in the 60-64 female age group with 2:52:13 set at Osaka Marathon 2021. Besides this record, she also has six times. others reached sub3 in the period 2017-2022.

Last year, Yugeta attended both Tokyo and Nagoya for seven days, and both scored sub 3:05. She also went to the US to attend the 2022 Boston Marathon with the goal of setting a new personal (PR) record. And despite not being successful at only 3:06:27, this veteran runner is still at the top of the age group.

Yugeta started running at the age of 21, when she watched the 1979 Tokyo International Women's Marathon. She trained for the next three years, then ran her first marathon in Tokyo in 1982, achieving a time of 3:09:21 - 34th in the tournament.

Forty years later, Yugeta still maintains her fitness and endurance. On May 13, she will celebrate her 65th birthday and belong to the 65-69 age group - where Yugeta aims to break the world record 3:07:51 of compatriot Kimi Ushiroda.

In a 2021 interview, Yugeta said she doesn't think about age when running. Yugeta has four children and teaches gymnastics in high school, training with 16- and 17-year-olds.