By David Monti with Ken Nakamura
Kayoko Fukushi, who holds Japanese records for 3000m, 5000m and the half-marathon, will make her marathon debut at next month's Osaka International Ladies Marathon and attempt to qualify for the Beijing Olympics at that distance, organizers announced earlier this week.
Running for the Wacoal corporate team, the 25 year-old Fukushi has become Japan's top distance runner on the track and has already made a name for herself in road racing. In just three attempts at the half-marathon distance she has run 68 minutes are better twice, including her Asian record 67:26 set in Marugame in 2006.
Osaka is traditionally Japan's most competitive marathon for women, and Fukushi will need to be on her "A" game to come away with a victory, a rarity for marathon debutantes of any ability. Vying for the overall title will be Romanian Constantina Tomescu-Dita (2:21:30 PB); Briton Mara Yamauchi (2:25:13); and Japanese Yumiko Hara (2:23:48), Tomo Morimoto (2:24:33), and Yuri Kano (2:24:43), amongst others.
The first Japanese to cross the finish line is almost assured selection to her Olympic team, provided she runs a fast time. This is the last spot available on the team because defending Olympic champion Mizuki Noguchi has essentially locked up her spot on the team by winning last month's Tokyo International Women's Marathon in a course record 2:21:37. Ditto for Reiko Tosa, whose heroic bronze medal performance at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka last August has already earned her a team berth.
"Think of the team next summer: Tosa, Noguchi, Fukushi," commented Fukushi's manager, Brendan Reilly of Boulder Wave. "Any or all in the medal hunt."
Here is the complete elite field with career best times:
International:
Constantina Tomescu-Dita, ROM, 2:21:30 (2005 Chicago)
Lidia Simon, ROM, 2:22:54 (2000 Osaka)
Mara Yamauchi, GBR, 2:25:13 (2006 London)
Christelle Daunay, FRA, 2:28:54 (2007 Paris)
Olesya Nurgalieva, RUS, 2:29:35 (2004 Frankfurt)
Nina Rillstone, NZL, 2:29:46 (2006 Nagano)
Julia Mombi, KEN, 2:29:38 (2007 Nagoya)
Japanese:
Yumiko Hara, 2:23:48 (2007 Osaka/defending champion)
Tomo Morimoto, 2:24:33 (2006 Wien)
Yuri Kano, 2:24:43 (2007 Osaka)
Kayoko Obata, 2:25:14 (2000 Osaka)
Haruko Okamoto, 2:27:01 (2002 Osaka)
Mika Okunaga, 2:29:56 (2006 Osaka)
Kazue Ogoshi, 2:31:04 (2007 Osaka)
Yuka Ezaki, 2:31:35 (2007 Osaka)
Kayoko Fukushi, 1:07:26 (2006 Marugame Half)
Aki Fujikawa, 2:27:06 (2004 Nagoya)
Miki Ohira, 2:29:34 (2007 Nagoya)
Ayumi Nakayama, 2:33:57 (2007 Nagoya)
Miyuki Ando, 2:34:03 (2007 Osaka)
Yoshiko Fujinaga, 1:09:29 (2001 Kobe Half)
Madoka Ogi, 1:10:11 (2006 Miyazaki Half)
Kei Terada, 1:10:53 (2004 Kyoto City Half)
Juri Umeda, 1:12:45 (2006 Sanyo Half)
Yukiko Matsubara, 1:13:45 (2007 Kobe Half)
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