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2015 Gold Coast Marathon Winner Risa Takenaka Announces Retirement

The Shiseido women's corporate team announced on Feb. 18 that 2015 Gold Coast Airport Marathon winner Risa Takenaka, 27, is retiring from competition. Her last race will be January's National Women's Ekiden.

Through a company spokesperson Takenaka explained her reasons for retiring, saying, "I have had a series of injuries that have kept me from training at the level that I want to."

Translator's note: A former star runner at #1 women's university ekiden power Ritsumeikan University, Takenaka has run well as a pro, finishing in the top 3 in every race she has run in the last year and a half except one, and in the top 5 in all but three races in the last 3 years. She ran particularly well on the opening stage of last month's National Women's Ekiden. In the spring she married Takuya Noguchi of the Konica Minolta men's corporate team, returning to the Gold Coast in July to finish 3rd in 2:28:32 as Noguchi won the men's race in 2:08:59.

source article: 
https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/201712180000608.html
translated and edited by Brett Larner
photo © 2015 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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