A marathon is a grueling challenge for most runners, but Kyoko Tashiro was beaming as she crossed the finish line in the Los Angeles Marathon, her first-ever race.
"The last 12 km were really hard but I had decided I would finish with a smile," the 21-year-old said.
Born and raised in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, Tashiro was one of eight orphaned college students from Tohoku who traveled to the U.S. to run in the March 18 race for the Tokyo-based Ashinaga charity.