HIGHLIGHTS
MIURA Ryuji: Aiming to be the first Japanese athlete on the podium in the 3000m steeplechase
Among the athletes attracting attention as medal contenders for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 is Ryuji Miura, the Japanese record holder in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. He has achieved consecutive top finishes on the world stage, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He is also recognized as the key figure who has raised Japan’s 3000m steeplechase to a world-class level. With the World Athletics Championships to be held at home just ahead, we asked him about his current state of mind, the appeal of the event, and his recommended spots in Tokyo that fans can enjoy alongside watching the competition.
The 3000m steeplechase is regarded as one of the toughest yet most thrilling events in track and field. What first led Miura to take up this discipline?
“I had been a member of my local track and field club since the first grade of elementary school, and I competed in various activities, such as long-distance running, the 80m hurdles, long jump, and high jump. Seeing how I performed, my coach suggested that the 3000m steeplechase might be a good fit for me. That was the starting point, and when I entered Rakunan High School in Kyoto, known as a powerhouse in track and field, I began to pursue the event in earnest.”
How did you feel when your coach recommended the 3000m steeplechase?
“In junior high, I competed in national competitions such as the Junior Olympics in the 1500m and 3000m, but I was always eliminated in the preliminaries. Realizing the high standard at the national level, I devoted myself to self-training, determined to improve my running strength. Just as I was beginning to see results, like breaking my personal records, my coach suggested the 3000m steeplechase. I thought, if there is a stage where I can take on challenges in my own way, I want to try it.”
What was your impression when you actually competed in the event?
“Because you run at nearly the same pace as a regular middle-distance race while clearing water jumps and hurdles, there is always a risk of falling or colliding with other runners. I thought it was a tense and thrilling event. At first fear came before anything else and I felt the difficulty, but since I had always been good at movements like jumping and leaping, it didn’t take me long to get used to it. Once the fear was gone, all that was left was to enjoy it. As I began to close the gap with other athletes, I found myself more and more absorbed in the event.”
You quickly came into the spotlight, and after entering university, you gained attention by breaking the Japanese record. What captured the public’s excitement was your outstanding result of finishing seventh at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“For me, the preliminary race is what left the strongest impression. Until then, my personal best was 8 minutes 15.99 seconds. In my first international competition, and on the huge stage of the Tokyo Olympics, I ran 8 minutes 09.92 in the heats, breaking into the 9-second range. That made me very happy. Breaking through such a big barrier gave me a strong sense of steadily closing in on the world’s highest level.”
After that, you were placed sixth at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 and eighth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, earning top finishes in successive world competitions. Then, at the Diamond League in Monaco, held two months before the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, you recorded 8 minutes 03.43, shattering your own Japanese record by more than six seconds, and finished second.
“Actually I was injured at the beginning of this year, and for a while my times were not improving, so I felt I was falling behind. With the World Championships approaching, I reset my mindset and thought first about breaking the Japanese record as a way to close the gap with the world. Fortunately, the quality of my running had also improved, and I began to feel more relaxed as well. I even had the feeling that maybe I could produce a very good record unexpectedly.”
Your smooth running style stood out, and in particular, your strong surge in the closing stages was impressive.
“My strength has always been making a push in the final sprint, so my strategy was to stay near the back and then move up. It turned out even better than I expected—almost too well.”
In the last lap, you even overtook the overwhelming champion, Soufiane El Bakkali, who had been leading alone, and the dramatic head-to-head at the end had the spectators holding their breath.
“I believe it was the sharpest finishing sprint I’ve ever made. I thought the other runners might come after me, but unexpectedly I was able to pull ahead. In the end, of course, the champion overtook me, but it gave me confidence that I could move one step further forward.”
Competing against other runners while at the same time improving your own record, you show the distinctive depth of the 3000m steeplechase, which you can truly appreciate by watching the event.
“For athletes, breaking records is one of the real joys. At the same time, in a championship race, placement is what counts most. Battling it out with overseas athletes and winning through with my own strength gives me great confidence, and I believe it shows the true essence of this event.”
Once again, could you tell us the highlights of the 3000m steeplechase?
“In the early stage of the race, the key point is how smoothly you can take position among the crowded field. In the middle stages, as the race pace becomes critical, what makes it interesting is the tension that rises as you watch who will make a move and how, while eyeing the final sprint. Then in the last stages, it turns into a battle, almost a survival, for the top spot. It becomes raw and unrefined, with runners pushing toward the goal with their fighting spirit fully exposed. On the course, hurdles and water jumps can cause contact or falls, with some athletes moving ahead and others losing ground. Seeing when and how each runner makes their move, and the strategies throughout the race, is another fascinating aspect.”
Even while taking on one of the toughest events in track and field, the way you talk with such enjoyment leaves a strong impression.
“Honestly, it’s fun! In a race that combines many elements, such as technique for clearing obstacles, tactics and speed, the more you watch, the more interesting it becomes, and the more you compete, the more engaging it is. This is especially so when, with my specialty in the finishing sprint, I manage to overtake overseas athletes I had never beaten before, or run a faster time than them, and I get so happy that I can’t help but shout out loud, ‘Yes!’”
The World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 is just around the corner. How do you feel now?
“I want this to be an event where I can truly sense how much I have grown since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Of course, my goal is a medal. Making use of my specialty, the final sprint, I want to deliver an even higher-quality performance than I did in Monaco. So please look forward to it.”
No doubt The World Championships will be a special opportunity to watch the performances of the world’s top-class athletes, including yourself, right up close.
“In particular, right now is a rare time when world record holders can be found across so many events. In both track and field events, the level is so high that you won’t be able to take your eyes off the competitions. With the very best athletes from around the world gathering in Tokyo, that alone is enough to get me excited. I hope that many people will come to the stadium, experience a wide range of events, and enjoy them.”
During the championships, many people will be coming to Tokyo from overseas to watch. Do you have any recommended spots for them?
“I enjoy looking at the night views of Tokyo, and especially when I see Tokyo Tower while driving on the Shutoko Expressway, I always think it looks really cool. If, in between watching the events, you feel like moving your body, how about trying a run around the Imperial Palace? The loop around the palace is 5 km, and from there you can also enjoy the city night view, including the Marunouchi office buildings. Of course, it’s also nice in the daytime. With the abundant greenery around the Imperial Palace, it’s a refreshing place to run, so I recommend it.”
＜Profile＞
MIURA Ryuji
Born in 2002, from Shimane Prefecture. After graduating from Rakunan High School and Juntendo University, he joined the SUBARU Track and Field Team. His specialties are middle- and long-distance events, mainly the 3000m steeplechase. In the 3000m steeplechase, he placed 7th at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and 8th at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the first Japanese athlete ever to achieve the finals in an individual track event at two consecutive Olympics. At the Diamond League Monaco in July 2025, he set a new Japanese record of 8 minutes 03.43, improving his own record by more than six seconds. At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, he aims for the long-awaited gold medal.
