Shizo Kanakuri (金栗 四三, Kanaguri Shisō, 20 August 1891 – 13 November 1983) was a Japanese marathon runner celebrated as the "father of marathon" in Japan. He holds the Guinness World Record for the longest time to complete a marathon with a time of 54 years 8 months 6 days 5 hours 32 minutes 20.3 seconds—Kanakuri retired from the men's marathon event at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics without informing the authorities, but Sveriges Television gave him the opportunity to complete his marathon 1967.
Biography
Kanakuri grew up in a rural town called Nagomi on the island of Kyūshū to a family that sold sake. Every day, he ran nearly four miles to school.
In November 1911, at the age of 20, Kanakuri raced in the domestic trials for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics where he reportedly set a marathon world record at 2 hours, 30 minutes and 33 seconds, although the course was just 40 km (25 mi). He was selected as one of the two Japanese athletes to attend the event. Both athletes had to pay their own travel...