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MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Hanami Sekine

Hanami Sekine

age: 23
sponsor: Japan Post
graduated from: Toyokawa H.S.

best time inside MGC window:
2:23:07, 3rd, 2018 Nagoya Women’s Marathon

PB: 2:23:07, 2nd, 2018 Nagoya Women’s Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 15:24.74 (2016) 10000 m: 31:22.92 (2016) half marathon: 1:11:32 (2018)

 marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019):
2:23:07, 3rd, 2018 Nagoya Women’s Marathon

other major results:
8th, 2018 National Corporate Women’s Ekiden 6th Stage (6.795 km), 22:01
4th, 2018 Sendai International Half Marathon, 1:12:42,
20th, 2016 Rio Olympics 10000 m, 31:44.44
2nd, 2016 National Championships 10000 m, 31:22.92
3rd, 2016 National Championships 5000 m, 15:24.74

One of three women in the field who graduated from Toyokawa H.S. and along with Ayuko Suzuki one of two Japan Post runners in the twelve-strong MGC women's race, Sekine has been one of Japan’s highest-potential young talents in the last few years. She represented Japan in the 10000 m at the Rio Olympics at age 20, then last year dropped a 2:23:07 marathon debut in Nagoya two weeks after her 22nd birthday. A few weeks she ran her official half marathon debut in Sendai with a 1:12:42 for 4th

Not much has been seen of her since then, with a few lukewarm track time trials and an 8th-place run at the National Corporate Women’s Ekiden last fall, and just a 16:53.39 track 5000 m in May this year. Sekine is a bright hope, and whatever injury setbacks she has had over the last year and a half she still has a future ahead of her, whether in Tokyo or beyond. But despite her potential, as it currently stands Sekine is looking like the biggest risk for a DNS at the MGC Race.

Next profile: Hiroto Inoue (MHPS).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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