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MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Chihiro Miyawaki

Chihiro Miyawaki

age: 28
sponsor: Toyota
graduated from: Chukyo H.S.

best time inside MGC window:
2:08:45, 8th, 2018 Tokyo Marathon

PB: 2:08:45, 8th, 2018 Tokyo Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 13:35.74 (2011) 10000 m: 27:41.57 (2012) half marathon: 1:00:53 (2012)

marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019)
8th, 2018 Tokyo Marathon, 2:08:45 – PB
11th, 2017 Chicago Marathon, 2:13:32

other major results:
12th, 2019 Hakodate Half Marathon, 1:03:31
25th, 2017 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:16:51
11th, 2015 National Corporate Half Marathon Championships, 1:02:18
15th, 2014 Tokyo Marathon, 2:11:50
3rd, 2013 Kumanichi 30 km, 1:29:51 – PB
4th, 2012 National Corporate Championships 10000 m, 27:41.57 – PB tie
1st, National Corporate Half Marathon Championships, 1:00:53 – PB
3rd, 2011 Hachioji Long Distance Meet 10000 m A-Heat, 27:41.57 – PB

Miyawaki is one of the three men in the field who didn’t go to university. He had the skills to have been one of the top Hakone Ekiden runners, going right to the line against Toyo University star Keita Shitara at the 2013 Kumanichi 30 km when Shitara what was then the collegiate national record, but opted to give it a miss in favor of the corporate leagues.

In the corporate leagues he had great early success, running 13:35.74 for 5000 m, 27:41.57 for 10000 m, twice, and 1:00:53 for the half marathon from age 20-21. After his 30 km he made the jump to the marathon with a 2:11:50 debut at the 2014 Tokyo Marathon. The time alone doesn’t show the real quality Miyawaki displayed in that race, where he lost touch with the fast lead group around halfway. Most of the time what someone drops off that early that’s pretty much the last you’ll see of them. But Miyawaki gutted out the second half alone, showing a lot of inner strength and promise.

The only thing that’s held him back since then has been injury after injury. It took another four years for him to improve on his debut with a 2:08:45 at last year’s Tokyo Marathon to qualify for the MGC Race, and again he was out with injury after that. Just about his only race since then was a 1:03:31 for 12th at July’s Hakodate Half Marathon, good enough to show that he’s running but not much more. You get the feeling that he hasn't really reached his potential in the marathon yet, but if he’s fit and has been training alongside Toyota teammates Yuma Hattori, Taku Fujimoto and Kensuke Horio then Miyawaki should be capable of at least playing a supporting role for Hattori.

Next profile: Kenji Yamamoto (Mazda).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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