MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier

MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Ayuko Suzuki

Ayuko Suzuki

Age: 27
sponsor: Japan Post
graduated from: Jishukan H.S., Nagoya University

best time inside MGC window:
2:28:32, 1st, 2018 Hokkaido Marathon

PB: 2:28:32, 1st, 2018 Hokkaido Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 15:08.29 (2015) 10000 m: 31:18.16 (2016) half marathon: 1:07:55 (2019)

marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019):
1st, 2018 Hokkaido Marathon, 2:28:32

other major results:
2nd, 2019 National Championships 10000 m, 31:46.25
2nd, 2019 Kagawa Marugame Int’l Half Marathon, 1:07:55
2nd, 2019 National Women’s Ekiden 9th Stage (10.0 km), 31:08
2nd, 2018 National Corporate Women’s Ekiden 3rd Stage (10.9 km), 34:46
2nd, 2018 National Championships 10000 m, 31:57.82
10th, 2017 London World Championships 10000 m, 31:27.30
2nd, 2017 National Championships 10000 m, 31:41.65
2nd, 2017 National Championships 5000 m, 15:20.50
12th, 2016 Rio Olympics 5000 m H2, 15:41.81
2nd, 2016 National Championships 5000 m, 15:24.47
1st, 2016 National Championships 10000 m, 31:18.73
9th, 2015 Beijing World Championships 5000 m, 15:08.29
3rd, 2015 National Championships 5000 m, 15:24.14

If there were one person female or male we had to pick to definitely make the Tokyo Olympics team at the MGC Race it’s Suzuki. Top 3 in the 5000 m and/or 10000 m at the National Championships every year since 2015 and representing Japan on the track at the Beijing World Championships, Rio Olympics and London World Championships, Suzuki went straight to the marathon last summer with a 2:28:32 win at the hot Hokkaido Marathon in her debut.

That gives her the slowest PB of the twelve women in the MGC Race, but make no mistake, she’s one of the favorites. Suzuki underlined that with a 1:07:55 half marathon debut in February, the third-fastest ever by a Japanese woman on a record-legal course, and a runner-up finish in May’s National Championships 10000 m where she beat every other MGC Race entrant in the field. Along with teammate Hanami Sekine one of two athletes in the twelve-runner women's MGC Race sponsored by Japan Post, she’s also one of only two who graduated from university.

Next profile: Tomohiro Tanigawa (Konica Minolta).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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