Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Retired Air Force Veteran Takes Up Marathons
Nakanishi Currently Preparing For Hogeye Marathon On April 14
FARMINGTON — Koei Nakanishi of Farmington is 78 years old and has retired from three different careers. But he has no plans to retire from running marathons.
“You really have to like it,” Nakanishi said. “It makes me feel better.”
Nakanishi did not take up running until he was 52 yearsold and working in his second career for Skippy Peanut Butter in Little Rock.
A co-worker asked him to go running with him and after his first race, the Pepsi 10K, Nakanishi said he was hooked. However, it wasn’t the actual race that made him want to continue with the sport, it was the food and beverages provided to runners after the run.
“That excited me,” Nakanishi. “Look at all the food and drinks. So I got into it. It sold me as far as running.”
Nakanishi was born in Hawaii and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in April 1955. He was in the Air Force for 22 years and over the course of his military career, served at bases in California, Illinois, Arizona, South Dakota, Washington, Kansas and Little Rock. He also served at Okinawa, Japan, and for a one-year tour in the Vietnam War.
Nakanishi worked on jet engines for most of his time in the Air Force. At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., he worked as an aircraft mechanic on F-86
fighters, and there worked on the hydraulic systems, cockpit and other parts of the fighter planes.
Nakanishi met his wife, Theresa, in Okinawa, when she was serving in the Women’s Army Corps. They married in South Dakota and have been married 55 years. They have one son and one granddaughter, Katrina Nakanishi, a Farmington High graduate.
His tour in South Dakota still stands out in his mind. It was during the Cuban missile crisis.
“We were all packed and ready to go, ready to go in case of war, and then it was over. It was really something. I thought we’re going to be at war with Russia,” he recalled.
Nakanishi finished his Air Force career in Little Rock at about the time the Skippy Peanut Butter plant opened. He was offered a job with the company and worked there 19 1 ⁄ years. He retired again at
2 age 62 when he was eligible for Social Security benefits.
Nakanishi and his wife then decided to move to Farmington to be near their granddaughter and soon, Nakanishi took on a new career.
He worked in landscaping for the University of Arkansas and describes his 12 years there, “as the best job I ever had.” His main responsibilities were the chancellor’s grounds and the landscaping around Old Main.
“I mowed, trimmed hedges and kept the grounds spruced up,” Nakanishi said, adding he also enjoyed seeing the students on campus.
He retired a third time on Jan. 3, 2012, to help his wife at home.
These days, Koei and Theresa Nakanishi cheer on the Razorback football and basketball teams.
Koei Nakanishi stays busy running year-round, rain or shine, hot or cold temperatures. Presently, he’s preparing for the Hogeye Marathon on April 14 and his running is more intensive. He runs six days a week, taking off only Saturdays. Sunday is his longest day and sometimes, he said he’ll run 10-20 miles on Sundays.
When he first started running, Nakanishi said he thought he would just get out and run. How hard could it be, he wondered. He learned that there was a lot more to it and started out slowly by walking and running. He follows a guide from a runner’s magazine when training to run a marathon.
He now only runs in the Hogeye Marathon each year but his past races have included the Boston Marathon, the White Rock Marathon in Dallas and the U.S. Air Force Marathon. Running in the Boston Marathon for three years was a highlight, Nakanishi said, noting the race is “like the Super Bowl for runners” and participants come from all over the world. He qualified for the race in his age division and described the event as “amazing.”
Nakanishi is competitive and said he always has the goal to place in his age division when racing. The first time he placed, he finished in fourth place for his age bracket. He’s finished as high as second in other races. His best time in recent years was in 2005 when he ran the the White Rock Marathon in Dallas in 4 hours and 8 minutes. He said his time was better when he was in his 50s, but he couldn’t remember the exact time.
After the Hogeye, Nakanishi said his practices will be more relaxing, not as intense. But he still will run.