MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Keiko Nogami

Keiko Nogami

age: 33
sponsor: Juhachi Ginko
graduated from: Suma Gakuen H.S.

best time inside MGC window:
2:26:33, 5th, 2019 Nagoya Women’s Marathon

PB: 2:26:33, 5th, 2019 Nagoya Women’s Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 15:24.70 (2018) 10000 m: 32:07.70 (2018) half marathon: 1:09:27 (2019)

marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019)
20th, 2019 Tokyo Marathon, 2:38:23
2nd, 2018 Jakarta Asian Games Marathon, 2:36:27
5th, 2018 Nagoya Women’s Marathon, 2:26:33 – PB
2nd, 2017 Dongguan Asian Championships Marathon, 2:29:05
2nd, 2017 Hokkaido Marathon, 2:30:11

other major results:
1st, 2019 Sendai International Half Marathon, 1:09:27 – PB
10th, 2019 Marugame Half Marathon, 1:13:28
3rd, 2018 National Sports Festival 5000 m, 15:37.28
3rd, 2016 Osaka Half Marathon, 1:11:52
2nd, 2015 Gold Coast Marathon, 2:29:36
5th, 2015 Nagoya Women’s Marathon, 2:28:19

Along with Kensuke Horio (Toyota), Nogami is one of two graduates of Suma Gakuen H.S. to make the MGC Race, and one of only two women over 30 to make it. A member of the tiny Juhachi Ginko corporate team, Nogami only really started to come on strong in 2015 with a 2:28:19 at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon and a runner-up finish at the Gold Coast Marathon four months later. Since then she has quietly moved up the ranks with a 2nd place at the 2017 Hokkaido Marathon, a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Championships, a 2:26:33 PB in Nagoya last year, and another silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games with track PBs along the way.

The Tokyo Marathon this year was a bust in cold and rainy conditions as Nogami was only 20th in 2:38:23, but in May she dropped a 1:09:27 PB to win the Sendai Half Marathon and get things back on track. In a 2:23 race Nogami would have a tough time being part of the front end, but given her record in hot conditions and her Sendai win she should be relevant at the MGC Race.

Next profile: Takuya Fujikawa (Chugoku Denryoku).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved