Reiko Tosa
JAPAN
BIRTHDATE:
June 11, 1976
PERSONAL BEST:
2:22:46 (London, 2002)
CAREER NOTES:
Tosa had a strong year of training in 2005 to get back into top form. She anchored the Japanese team to a win at the Yokohama Ekiden. After winning the 2004 Nagoya International Women’s Marathon, she was selected by the Japanese federation to represent her country in the Athens Olympics. At the Games, she finished an impressive fifth behind teammate and gold medal winner Mizuki Noguchi. In 2001 she brought home the silver medal from the World Championships. One of Boston’s 2006 pre-race favorites, Tosa placed third--just 33 seconds behind the winner, Rita Jeptoo.
PERSONAL NOTES:
Tosa is a graduate of Matsuyama University and got married in 2005. She is soft spoken and has a quiet sense of humor. She has garnered the nicknamed “Ms. Consistency” for her many top-five performances. Although she competed in college, Tosa made a huge leap in performance when she joined the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance team in 1999 and came under the coaching direction of Hideo Suzuki.
HIGHLIGHTS:
04/17/06 Boston Marathon 3rd 2:24:11
08/22/04 Olympic Marathon, Athens 5th 2:28:44
03/14/04 Nagoya International Women’s Marathon 1st 2:23:57
04/14/02 Flora London Marathon 4th 2:22:46
08/12/01 IAAF World Championships, Edmonton 2nd 2:26:06 Silver
11/19/00 Tokyo International Women’s Marathon 2nd 2:24:47
03/12/00 Nagoya International Women’s Marathon 2nd 2:24:36
