Shigeki Tanaka

was a Japanese long-distance runner who won the 1951 Boston Marathon.

Early life Tanaka was born in 1931.

Tanaka was 13 and living 20 miles from Hiroshima at the time of the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bombing. Following his Boston Marathon victory, he recalled, "We saw a bright light and heard a little noise. But no one thought anything about it at the time ... three days later, we heard the terrible news."

He laid the groundwork for his career as a marathon runner by running 20 km from Shōbara to a Saijō municipal stadium as a high school student. post-World War II athletic competition, after the 1951 Asian Games held a month earlier, to invite Japanese athletes. The runners stopped in Hawaii, San Francisco, and New York City en route to Boston. In each stopover they went to a movie theater and people wrapped money in paper and threw it on stage for them. Tanaka later recalled that he "felt pretty strange to receive money like that, like a beggar almost ... We bought sugar to bring back to Japan—that's how bad things were."

Tanaka won the marathon racing in tabi-inspired split-toe running shoes made by Onitsuka, which he thought would give him better traction.

The three other Japanese runners in the race also did very well: Shunji Koyunagi finished in 5th place, Yoshitaka Uchikawa in 8th place, and Hiromi Haigo in 9th place.

Reception and legacy Tanaka's win inspired in Japan an enduring enthusiasm for distance running and an affection for the Boston Marathon. His win was a landmark moment in restoring the war-shattered country's dignity and honor following World War II. The race and Tanaka's victory marked the beginning of a strong athletic relationship between Japan and Boston, and the beginning of a tradition of Japanese victories in the race.

Post-running career After his running career, Tanaka worked as a salaryman for a Tokyo area department store

Medal theft On May 5, 1998, Tanaka's house in Utsunomiya was ransacked and his Boston Marathon winner's medal stolen. The Boston Athletic Association awarded Tanaka a replacement medal on July 10, 1998, for his achievement as the first Japanese to win the event; the association's president Frank Porter said in a message accompanying the medal that Tanaka's victory was the beginning of Japan's strength in the race. A 19-year-old Brazilian of Japanese ancestry was arrested on suspicion of stealing the medal and on unrelated theft and assault charges. During questioning, the suspect implicated himself in an unrelated murder and was arrested on suspicion of that crime.

The two medals were subsequently displayed at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Tanaka presented the Boston Athletic Association with a "trophy of friendship" on behalf of the town of Saijō in gratitude for replacing the stolen medal.