Skip to main content

MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Shohei Otsuka

Shohei Otsuka

age: 25
sponsor: Kyudenko
graduated from: Oita Tomei H.S., Komazawa University

best time inside MGC window:
2:10:12, 3rd, 2018 Beppu-Oita Marathon

PB: 2:10:12, 3rd, 2018 Beppu-Oita Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 13:55.41 (2018) 10000 m: 28:25.42 (2019) half marathon: 1:02:32 (2014)

marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019)
11th, 2019 Tokyo Marathon, 2:12:36
4th, 2018 Hokkaido Marathon, 2:12:07
3rd, 2018 Beppu-Oita Marathon, 2:10:12

other major results:
34th, 2019 Marugame Half Marathon, 1:02:53
25th, 2019 New Year Ekiden Fourth Stage (22.4 km), 1:07:05
8th, 2018 Kumamoto Kosa 10-Miler, 46:21
1st, 2018 Kyushu Corporate Ekiden Seventh Stage (16.3 km), 46:26
16th, 2017 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:15:10
1st, 2017 Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage (20.8 km, ~800 m uphill), 1:12:46
4th, 2015 Kumanichi 30 km Road Race, 1:31:29
2nd, 2015 Hakone Ekiden Eighth Stage (21.4 km), 1:05:45

Otsuka made an early debut in the marathon while still a student at Komazawa University where he was one of the heavy hitters on its ekiden team, winning the Hakone Ekiden's famous uphill Fifth Stage his senior year. After joining the Kyudenko corporate team he took almost five minutes off his debut time with a 2:10:12 for 3rd in his hometown Beppu-Oita Marathon, then qualified for the MGC Race with a 2:12:07 for 4th at last August’s Hokkaido Marathon.

Strong during ekiden season, Otsuka struggled a bit at its peak race in January. He seemed to get it back together, just off his PB at the Marugame Half, but at the Tokyo Marathon he wasn’t able to execute the kind of breakthrough to the level of former Komazawa teammate Shogo Nakamura (Fujitsu) that he’s been hoping for. Siince then he’s run a PB for 10000 m, combined with his performance in Hokkaido last sumer a definite plus heading into the MGC Race.

Next profile: Ryu Takaku (Yakult).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Race Entry Roster Sizes Increased from 14 to 16

Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR have announced details for the qualifying half marathon for next year's 103rd Hakone Ekiden. The Yosenkai qualifying race will be held Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The combined times of the 10 fastest finishers from each participating team will be used for team scoring, with the 10 fastest teams going on the the main event next January and top-placing individuals from teams that do not qualify being names to the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team. One change from previous years is that the number of runners each school can enter has been increased from 14 to 16. Teams will still only be allowed to have from 10 to 12 athletes on the starting line, but the move gives coaches greater flexibility in making the final decision on their starting rosters. No changes have been made to the qualifying times of 34:00 for 10000 m or 1:13:00 for the half marathon, and the new earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. introduced last year in an effort to mitigate ...

Nomura and Odagiri Go 3-4 at Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km

2010 Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km Nijmegen, Netherlands, 11/21/10 Women click here for complete women's results 1. Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) - 47:53 2. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 48:07 3. Sayo Nomura (Meijo Univ.) - 49:43 4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 51:37 5. Benita Willis (Australia) - 51:51 Men click here for complete men's results 1. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) - 41:13 - WR 2. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) - 42:01 3. Ayele Abshiro (Ethiopia) - 42:01 4. Abraham Kiplimo (Uganda) - 43:03 5. Berhanu Delale (Ethiopia) - 43:08 ----- 14. Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 45:31