Ōsako Suguru: Long-Distance Star Brings Speed and More to Olympic Marathon

Ōsako runs at the back of the pack in a qualifying heat of the 5,000 meters on August 17, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro. Finishing sixteenth, he failed to make the finals. (© Jiji)

Ōsako celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the Tokyo Marathon on March 1, 2020. His fourth-place finish was the best of any Japanese runner. (© Jiji)

Ōsako poses with elementary students participating in a track and field workshop in Tokyo in December 2020. (© Sugar Elite/Jiji)