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World Championships Marathoner Maeda Named Police Chief for A Day

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/saga/news/20130925-OYT8T01531.htm

translated by Brett Larner

On September 25th the Shiroishi police department appointed 2013 Moscow World Championships marathoner Kazuhiro Maeda (32, Team Kyudenko) and former National Sports Festival 5000 m champion Tomoka Inadomi (27), both natives of Shiroishi, honorary police chiefs for the day.  The nominations came as part of a fall road safety campaign across Saga prefecture.  Receiving the letter of appointment from police chief Kazuhiro Shinohara, Maeda greeted the assembled crowd saying, "Let's all work together to raise awareness and eliminate accidents from our streets."  Inadomi added, "I hope that everyone will carry a personal sense of the importance of road safety."

After the ceremony Maeda, who is suffering from a leg injury, rode in a loudspeaker car promoting road safety to local residents.  Wearing a tasuki emblazoned with a road safety slogan, Inadomi ran 2 km from police headquarters to Shiroishi J.H.S., from which she graduated, to remind drivers to drive safely.

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