Toru Terasawa was a Japanese long-distance runner who on February 17, 1963 set a world record in the marathon with a time of 2:15:16 at the Beppu Marathon. Terasawa placed second in the marathon at the 1964 Japanese Olympic trials and 15th at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Terasawa is also a two-time champion of the Fukuoka Marathon; he set a Japanese national record during his 1962 victory (2:16:18.4) and improved on it when he won in 1964 (2:14:48.2). At Fukuoka in 1966, he finished fifth (2:15:51.2) after colliding with Jim Hogan, the 1966 European marathon champion, and falling to the pavement just before the halfway mark. Toru Terasawa (Japan) set the men's marathon world record of 2:15:15.8 in Beppu-Ōita Marathon on February 17, 1963. It stood 4 months, until Leonard Edelen's 2:14:28 on June 15, 1963. Wiki link