 Osako at the 2016 Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 May 1991 Machida, Japan |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] |
| Weight | 52 kg (115 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Japan |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | 10,000 metres, Marathon |
Suguru Osako (大迫傑, Ōsako Suguru, born 23 May 1991) is a Japanese long-distance runner. He won the 10,000 metres gold medal at the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen and holds the Asian junior record for the half marathon. He held the Japanese National Record for the marathon of 2:05:29 set at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon, where he finished fourth.
Born in Machida, Tokyo, he attended Saku Chosei High School and began to establish himself nationally in 2010. He was the fastest in his stage at the Japanese High School Ekiden Championship and came second in the junior race at the Chiba Cross Country.[2] This gained him a place on the Japanese junior team for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where he went on to finish in 32nd place. On the track that year he set a personal best of 28:35.75 minutes in Tokyo then finished eighth at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics.[3] After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Waseda University in late 2010. In November he ran at the Ageo City Half Marathon and set a Japanese and Asian junior record time of 1:01:47 hours to win the race.[4]
In 2011 he ran a 5000 metres track best of 13:31.27 minutes and came second over 10,000 metres at the Hyogo Relays.[3] Osako was chosen to represent his country at the 2011 Summer Universiade, where he defeated Stephen Mokoka in the 10,000 m to take the gold medal, becoming the first Japanese since Yasuyuki Watanabe to win that title.[5] At the start of the 2012 season he was the top Japanese finisher at the Chiba Cross Country (fourth overall) and had a narrow win at the Fukuoka Cross Country, beating Yuki Sato.[6][7] Osako improved his track bests in 2012, running 3:42.68 minutes for the 1500 metres, 7:54.68 minutes for the 3000 metres and 27:56.94 minutes for the 10,000 m.[3]
He was runner-up to Charles Ndirangu at the 2013 Fukuoka Cross Country.[8]
He finished third in the 2018 Chicago Marathon with the national record at the time of 2:05:50 h, earning him 100 Million Yen.
He finished fourth in the 2020 Tokyo Marathon where he broke his own national record with a time of 2:05:29.
He is formerly a member of the Nike Oregon Project.
- ^ "Suguru Osako". Rio2016.com. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ Nakamura, Ken (14 February 2012). "Karoki, Mathathi, and Katsumata prevail at Chiba Cross Country". IAAF. Retrieved 5 March 2012.[dead link]
- ^ a b c "Suguru Osako". IAAF. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Larner, Brett (21 November 2011). "Freshman Suguru Osako 1:01:47 Jr. National Record at 2010 Ageo City Half Marathon". Japan Running News. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Coover, Paul (22 August 2011). "World University Games Results". Running Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Nakamura, Ken (12 February 2012). "Kenyan high schoolers dominate at Chiba Cross Country". IAAF. Retrieved 5 March 2012.[dead link]
- ^ Nakamura, Ken (25 February 2012). "Sato beaten by Osako in Fukuoka". IAAF. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Nakamura, Ken (23 February 2013). "Ndirangu and Thuku continue winning streak in Fukuoka". IAAF. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.