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MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Jo Fukuda

Jo Fukuda

age: 28
sponsor: Nishitetsu
graduated from: Omuta H.S., Kokushikan University

best time inside MGC window:
2:09:52, 3rd, 2018 Gold Coast Marathon

PB: 2:09:52, 3rd, 2018 Gold Coast Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 14:09.18 (2017) 10000 m: 28:44.67 (2017) half marathon: 1:02:25 (2019)

marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019)
DNF, 2019 Tokyo Marathon
7th, 2018 Fukuoka International Marathon, 2:10:54
3rd, 2018 Gold Coast Marathon, 2:09:52 – PB
23rd, 2018 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:18:16
3rd, 2017 Hokkaido Marathon, 2:15:11

other major results:
7th, 2019 Gold Coast Half Marathon, 1:03:49
26th, 2019 Marugame Half Marathon, 1:02:25 – PB
24th, 2019 National Men’s Ekiden Seventh Stage (13.0 km), 38:38
23rd, 2019 New Year Ekiden Fourth Stage (22.4 km), 1:06:42
3rd, 2018 Kyushu Corporate Ekiden Fifth Stage (13.0 km), 38:27
20th, 2017 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, 2:16:16
9th, 2016 Hokkaido Marathon, 2:16:29
35th, 2016 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:19:06

With his last five marathons at that point all in the 2:15 to 2:19 range Fukuda surprised at last year’s Gold Coast Marathon when he came on strong in the last 5 km to challenge Kenneth Mungara (Kenya) and Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) for the win. He ended up 3rd in 2:09:52, but while he lost out to Murayama there his 2:10:54 a few months later in Fukuoka was enough to get him into the MGC Race while Murayama came up short.

At the big January ekidens Fukuda was still tired from Fukuoka, but by Marugame in February he was back in peak shape with a 1:02:25 PB. Tokyo looked set to be big, but like others he struggled in the conditions and ended up dropping out. After regrouping during track season Fukuda was back on the Gold Coast, running 1:03:49 for 7th and looking like he was back on track.

The only runner from the relatively minor Nishitetsu corporate team to qualify and one of two Kokushikan University graduates in the field, as a known factor now it will be harder for Fukuda to pull the same kind of surprise he did last year in Australia, but the closing strength he showed there could make a difference on the uphill last section of the MGC and Olympic course.

Next profile: Akinobu Murasawa (Nissin Shokuhin).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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