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Ex-marathon champ Yumiko Hara accused of shoplifting in Tochigi

Yumiko Hara
Tochigi police have accused Yumiko Hara of shoplifting from a convenience store in Ashikaga City (TBS News)

TOCHIGI (TR) – Tochigi Prefectural Police have arrested former marathon champion Yumiko Hara, 35, for allegedly shoplifting from a convenience store in Ashikaga City last month, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 18).

At about 4:00 p.m. on July 30, Hara, currently a contract employee, is alleged to have stolen eight items, including face lotion and a pastry, worth about 2,700 yen from an outlet of chain 7-Eleven located in the Minamiomachi, according to police.

Hara, who has been accused of theft, admits to the allegations. “I’ve shoplifted on other occasions,” she told the Ashikaga Police Station. She was sent to prosecutors on Friday morning.

On August 3, the manager of the store realized that items were missing during a check of inventory and notified police, according to the Sankei Shimbun (Aug. 17).

Hara surfaced as a person of interest after an examination of security camera footage taken inside the store.

Two world championships

Hara finished in sixth place in the Women’s Marathon at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland in 2005. She came in 18th place at the same event in Osaka two years later.

She took first place in the Nagoya International Women’s Marathon in 2005 and the Osaka International Ladies Marathon two years later.