The slowest olympic Marathon in history...

[Funnel]

I just red an article about the Olympics that was held in Stockholm 100 years ago.

During the Marathon it was very hot and one of the athletes from Japan was so exhausted after half the race that he stumbled into a garden where he got some refreshments. He stayed there until the evening, took the train back to Stockholm and flew home to Japan. Formally he didn't cancel the race.

Many years later some journalists remembered "the Japanese that disappeared" and found him in Japan, asked him to come back to Stockholm to finish the Marathon race. At the age of 76 he passed the finish line at the same stadium as the olympics were held back in 1912 (the stadium is still in use today). It took him in total 54 years 8 months and 6 days (hours not mentioned...) to finish the Marathon.

I think I can beat that time!

/Erik

[glo-ree-bee]

Hey, I MIGHT be able to best that time also --- if I start out tomorrow!

[jetblue]

Last I checked there was no such thing as commercial air travel 100 years ago!

[Rubysky]

I did some googling on this matter and found this:

During the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Japanese marathon runner Sitso Kanaguri suffered an unbearable thirst at 30 km. He ran to the nearest house and asked the owner for some water. The Swedish farmer invited the runner into a room, but when he returned, he found his guest sound asleep. Kanaguri slept for more than a day. In 1967, the 76-year-old runner was given the opportunity to run the remaining distance - his total time was 54 years 8 months 6 days 8 hours 32 minutes and 20.3 seconds.

Other bits of interest can be found here. As far as truth goes, I have no idea. Interesting facts | Sochi 2014

[Christoffer]

Heard about this on the Swedish morning television, think it was during my summer vacation.
Quite a story.

[Funnel]

Last I checked there was no such thing as commercial air travel 100 years ago!

You're probably right! I checked the article and it says "flew back to Japan" but there can be an error. He probably used a ship to get back home (or he ran...).

Thinking of it, the olympics back then must have been an adventure!

/Erik

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great story.

No marathons for this person.

[Tobyn]

Humorous story regardless. I think even I could beat that time!

[jetblue]

You're probably right! I checked the article and it says "flew back to Japan" but there can be an error. He probably used a ship to get back home (or he ran...).

Thinking of it, the olympics back then must have been an adventure!

/Erik

Was the Earth even round back then? The Olympians might have run to the edge of the world and fallen off!