Tokyo Paralympic champ heads new Boston Marathon division

By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — When Misato Michishita won the Paralympic marathon in Tokyo this summer, she picked up more than a gold medal. The visually impaired Japanese office worker became a must-get for organizers of Monday’s Boston Marathon. She will compete in one of three new para divisions being unveiled for the 125th edition of the race. Boston was the first major marathon to include a wheelchair race, in 1975. It has crowned a champion in a visually impaired division since 1986. But for the first time this year, the Boston Athletic Association will award titles and prize money in three new divisions. They are: visually impaired, upper-body impairment and lower-body impairment.