He told the Anatolia news agency that he will finish the marathon that he began in Japan on Dec. 17, 2008 upon his return to Japan. “It was my dream to run across the world,” he said. “I will do this. I ran 10,000 kilometers so far. In total I will run 20,000 kilometers. I made it halfway by reaching Ankara. I crossed the oceans by sailboat. If we were to count the oceans, the total distance I will have covered will be 36,000 kilometers. I started running last year on Dec. 17. It’s been … a year now. I plan on finishing by October 2010. I have about a year left. Weather conditions can affect the marathon program. It was especially challenging for me to cross the Pacific Ocean by sailboat.”A break every 5 kilometers
Noting that he runs about 50 kilometers every day, Kanpei said: “I take a five-minute break every five kilometers. I boost my morale during these breaks by saying a little bit more of the road is finished.” He explained that he speaks over the phone with his wife and two children every day, saying: “My wife says to me, ‘You are traveling the world, but I am not aware of what you are doing.’ My children say the same thing as well.”
Noting that he will make his dream come true by running, the Japanese athlete said: “I always run within the program. I covered about 60 kilometers by walking in the US. I’ve walked about six kilometers here. Aside from that though, I ran when I traveled by land. I have gone through 50 pairs of shoes. Actually, it could be a bit more. I don’t know how many more I will wear out. My sponsors assist me with athletic gear and send it to me. My supporters and other people I come across while running open car doors and offer me a lift. But I can’t and won’t do that. If I get in, that would be my end. I came across this kind of conduct in the US, Bulgaria and Turkey.”
Traveled from Europe to Asia by running
Kanpei has run through 13 countries so far. “I visited the capital of each one. But Turkey impressed me the most. I obtained special permission to run across the Bosporus Bridge. I was very impressed while running across the bridge. That beautiful scenery will never be erased from my mind. I went from Europe to Asia by running. I was very happy because I was able to run to my continent,” he said.
Kanpei spent 70 days on a sailboat when he crossed the Pacific Ocean and ran from one end of the US to the other end in 104 days. From New York, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach France. He will complete the Turkish leg of his marathon within two months by running through Ankara, Kırıkkale, Yozgat, Sivas, Erzincan, Erzurum, Ağrı and toward the Gürbulak border crossing. He will then run through Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and China and then cross the East China Sea by sailboat to reach Japan.
