Skip to main content

MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Ryu Takaku

Ryu Takaku

age: 26
sponsor: Yakult
graduated from: Nasu Takuyo H.S., Toyo University

best time inside MGC window:
2:10:03, 7rd, 2019 Hamburg Marathon

PB: 2:10:03, 7rd, 2019 Hamburg Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 13:57.89 (2016) 10000 m: 28:36.71 (2015) half marathon: 1:01:58 (2019)

marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019)
7th, 2019 Hamburg Marathon, 2:10:03 – PB
9th, 2019 Tokyo Marathon, 2:11:49
30th, 2018 Fukuoka International Marathon, 2:19:51
6th, 2018 Gold Coast Marathon, 2:11:45
7th, 2018 Beppu-Oita Marathon, 2:12:12

other major results:
2nd, 2019 Hakodate Half Marathon, 1:02:43
10th, 2019 Marugame Half Marathon, 1:01:58 – PB
2nd, 2019 New Year Ekiden First Stage (12.3 km), 35:56
13th,, 2018 East Japan Corporate Ekiden Second Stage (15.3 km), 45:53
2nd, 2017 Kumanichi 30 km Road Race, 1:31:18
18th, 2017 Marugame Half Marathon, 1:02:34
5th, 2014 Kumanichi 30 km Road Race, 1:30:32 – PB
1st, 2014 Hakone Ekiden Eighth Stage (21.5 km), 1:04:35

Takaku is one of five graduates of Toyo University in the MGC Race field, more than any other college program. At Toyo he won the Hakone Ekiden’s Eighth Stage in 2014 to help Toyo score the overall win. A month later he helped pace teammate and future Fukuoka International Marathon winner Yuma Hattori to a 30 km collegiate national record at the Kumanichi Road Race.

After joining Yakult, Takaku moved up to the marathon in Beppu-Oita last year, going on to run 2:11:45 at the Gold Coast Marathon. That time meant he needed to run 2:10:15 to qualify for the MGC Race on the two-race sub-2:11 average option. He came up short in Fukuoka, but with an excellent run at the New Year Ekiden and his first sub-62 half marathon in Marugame in February he looked set to do it in Tokyo.

But like a lot of others in this year’s Tokyo he suffered in the cold and rain, running only 2:11:49. Most people would have packed it in there, but less than two months later Takaku gave it one last shot in Hamburg with two days until the qualifying deadline. 2:10:15 was the target, and a 2:10:03 PB was what he pulled out.

Not many people could have pulled off that double, and since it he’s continued to run well, taking 2nd at July’s Hakodate Half Marathon in 1:02:43 over MGC qualifiers Chihiro Miyawaki (Toyota), Tomohiro Tanigawa (Konica Minolta) and Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki). He’ll probably be in a supporting role to Hattori again at the MGC Race, but in bouncing back to qualify in Hamburg Takaku showed something special that sets him apart from the other men his level.

Next proile: Yoshiki Takenouchi (NTT Nishi Nihon).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...
1 comment
Read more

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...
1 comment
Read more