March 15, 2004 Reiko Tosa Runs thru Nagoya to Athens Reiko Tosa (of MSI's Women's Marathon and Track Team) won Nagoya International Women's Marathon in 2 hours 23 minutes 57 seconds on Sunday, March 14th, and was elected to the squad to Athens Olympic Games today.   Reiko Tosa of Women's Marathon and Track headed by Hideo Suzuki, Head Coach at Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. ("MSI") (President: Hiroyuki Uemura) finished first with a time of 2:23:57, one of the best records in the qualifying races, at Nagoya International Women's Marathon held on Sunday, March 14, 2004. She was announced to be an Olympic team member on the next day, March 15. The race started with a slow pace, and Tosa led a top group of about ten runners. After 25 kilometers, the race was gradually getting faster to break up the top group, and runners were shaken off to leave only Tosa, Miki Oyama (also of MSI) and Megumi Tanaka (of Shimamura Co., Ltd.) in the top group past the 28-kilometer mark. After 32 kilometers, Tanaka made a move ahead, once opening up a gap as much as eleven seconds ahead of Tosa. However, Tosa, never giving up and tracking down persistently, now in her turn, made a spurt, overstrode Tanaka around 35 kilometers, and then kept outdistancing herself from others to the goal. Nagoya International Women's Marathon < Race conditions > Start time: 12:10 on Sunday, March 14th, 2004 Course: 42.195 kilometer long out-and-back route between Mizuho Stadium and the halfway point at Kosei-Dohri Crossing Weather: fine, temp. 16 degree C, humid. 41%, NNE wind at 1.8 meters per second at the start time Entries: 217 runners < Race results > 1   Reiko Tosa   MSI   2 h 23 m 57 s 2   Megumi Tanaka   Shimamura   2 h 24 m 47 s 3   Aki Fujikawa   Akita Riku-kyo   2 h 27 m 06 s 4   Miki Oyama   MSI   2 h 27 m 58 s 5   Fumi Murata   Sammy Corp.   2 h 30 m 11 s Comments on Tosa's election to the Olympic squad Reiko Tosa , the race winner and to-be Olympic runner "I'm real honored to be named to the Olympic team. I still can't believe it. I'm very glad, anyway." "It'd been a goal to enter one of qualifying races, above all. When standing ready to start, suddenly a challenging emotion came to spur me, and drove me throughout the race. I'll do my best for a medal and my personal-best time in Athens." Hideo Suzuki, Head Coach "I'm very happy to hear Tosa was elected as an Olympic marathon runner. Although we had been concerned before the race that she had not prepared well enough, she made her best to run the race admirably. So, I'm very glad with her being elected to Japan's team." "I feel myself filled with delight and gratitude as a coach because it's been my dream that I'll foster an Olympic marathon runner someday. As for Athens Olympic marathon, the route is tough to run, and it will possibly be severe in high summer. She is a runner who endures such tough conditions, and I will encourage her to win a medal. Susumu Uchida, General Manager of Marathon and Track Team ( Managing Director of MSI) "I am really delighted that Reiko Tosa has been nominated to Japan's Olympic team, and at the same time, I am very grateful for all of her supporters. Her never-give-up attitude struck every person of our group and its agents, pulling our heartstrings and stirring us to challenge. Personal Profile : Reiko Tosa Birthday: June 11, 1976 (27 years old) Birthplace: Hojo-city, Ehime Prefecture, Japan Occupation: Personal Accident & Long-term Insurance Underwriting Department, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited. Height / Weight: 167 centimeters tall and weighs 45 kilograms She used be a basketball player in her junior high school. She turned to track and field sports in her high school, and then entered Matsuyama University. In 1999, she joined Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance (currently MSI), enrolling in Women's Marathon and Track of the Company. < Tosa's recent records > Mar. 14, 2004   1st   Nagoya International Women's   2 h 23 m 57 s Apr. 14, 2002   4th   London Marathon   2 h 22 m 46 s Aug. 12, 2001   2nd   World Championships in Athletics   2 h 26 m 06 s Nov. 19, 2000   2nd   Tokyo International Women's   2 h 24 m 47 s Mar. 12, 2000   2nd   Nagoya International Women's   2 h 24 m 36 s