The Olympic Committee made a historic decision in 1912. Athletes from all continents were allowed to compete for the first time. A Japanese man, born in Nagomi, was one of the two athletes selected from Japan to take part in the 1912 Olympics, held in Stockholm. He was the marathon runner Shizo Kanakuri, born on 20th August 1893.

In the scorching heat of July 14, 1912, 68 marathoners began running in front of 18,000 spectators in Stockholm. Shizo was one of them.

Shizo felt enormous pressure to do his country proud as Japan competed in the Olympics for the first time. But the thirst, heat, and exhaustion of the journey had taken their toll on Shizo. His perseverance and will to win were not enough, as he passed out during the marathon. A local family rescued him and gave him orange juice.

Officials from the race declared him missing. According to some Swedish accounts, the authorities looked for him for a few weeks before giving up.

Finally, Swedish television solved the case of the “lost runner” in 1967. They discovered Shizo, now 76, was living in Tokyo and offered him the chance to finish the marathon. Shizo gladly accepted this goodwill gesture. In March 1967, he ran over the finish line in Stockholm.

After 54 years, 249 days 5 hours 32 minutes, and 20.3 seconds Shizo finally completed the marathon. The Guinness book of world records, albeit jokingly dubbed as the man who took the “longest time to complete a marathon.”

More Info: historyofyesterday.com