New women's visually impaired marathon record

A 43-year-old Japanese runner has set a new world record in the women's marathon, for visually-impaired athletes.

Misato Michishita finished the Beppu Oita Mainichi Marathon in the visually impaired category, with a time of two hours 54 minutes and 22 seconds.

The event was held on Sunday in Oita Prefecture, western Japan. Her time was one minute, 52 seconds faster than the previous world record she set in 2017.

After a slow start, Michishita took the lead with a faster pace than the previous world record. She geared up after the 25-kilometer mark, moving clear of the top group, and maintained a comfortable lead all the way to the finish line.

Michishita almost completely lost her eyesight due to a disease when she was a junior high school student. She won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics.

Michishita was selected to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics this summer on an informal basis, after winning the World Para Athletics Marathon title last April in London.

posted Sunday February 9th