Gold Coast Marathon 2018: Japanese runners Takuya Noguchi and Yuki Kawauchi on Tokyo Olympic path

Takuya Noguchi can take the first step towards qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics with a win at the Gold Coast Marathon.

TAKUYA Noguchi will find it hard to top last year’s Gold Coast Marathon experience.

But if he can take a step towards qualifying for a hometown Olympics, Noguchi will leave the Gold Coast more than happy with his weekend’s work.

The Tokyo resident won a gripping finishing-chute sprint last year to claim the race on his 29th birthday, with wife Risa Takenaka claiming third place in the women’s race to give the couple a rare podium double.

And with the first stage of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics now open for Japan’s deep pool of marathon talent, Noguchi is hoping to use the fast, flat Gold Coast course to take the first step towards representing his country at a home Games.

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Takuya Noguchi from Japan celebrates winning during the Gold Coast Marathon on July 2, 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Noguchi ran a personal best time of 2hr 8min 59sec last year to claim the title but breaking that barrier is not his main goal tomorrow.

“I don’t care if I do a personal best but at least I want to run a sub 2:10,” Noguchi said.

“For Japanese athletes, this year is the (start of the) Olympic trial standard.”

The complicated process requires runners to notch two times around 2:10 just to earn the right to take part in the main Olympic qualification races.

It’s something Noguchi, his compatriot and former Gold Coast Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi and a squad of about 40 elite Japanese runners who have headed here for tomorrow’s race hope to achieve.

Gold Coast Marathon boss Cam Hart said the event had been recognised as for its potential to help runners post strong times and a significant number of Japanese elites were targeting the race.

“They’re up and coming Japanese elite runners and they’ve selected the Gold Coast Marathon because they’ve seen the track record,” Hart said.

“It’s been a happy hunting ground for Japanese elites for many years, even going back to the 1990s when Japan Airlines was the major partner and that really put it on the map.

“In 2001, Yuko Arimori, the duel Japanese Olympian won the race — and she’s a megastar in Japan — and ever since then it’s been on the Japanese radar.

Takuya Noguchi and wife Risa Takenaka, a previous winner on the Gold Coast. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“When you look at the winners over the years, both male and female, Japanese have come here and they’ve always run fast.

“So the Japanese are targeting the course as a way to foster up and coming Japanese elites and it’s a way for young runners to come and show their mettle and get one of the two times they need to quality for the trials so they can even be thought about for the Tokyo 2020 team.”

Noguchi waged a great battle with course record-holder Kenneth Mungara and Kawauchi in the final stages of last year’s race, beating the Kenyan with a withering burst of speed in the finishing chute.

And while the flat, fast course had few technical challenges that he will benefit from having completed before, Noguchi believes he will be ready to make his move as the race unfolds knowing what is ahead.

“I’ll watch how the race evolves and make my move at the right time,” he said.

Former Gold Coast Marathon winners (L-R) Yuki Kawauchi, Takuya Noguchi and Kenneth Mungara will go head-to-head in the race on Sunday. Photo Richard Gosling

As well as two-time winner Mungara, he faces a tough challenge from Kawauchi, who heads to the Gold Coast in arguably the best form of his career after winning the Boston Marathon earlier this year.

“When I won Boston, one of the first congratulations came from the Gold Coast Marathon and it made me feel like family,” said the popular Kawauchi, who is running on the Gold Coast for the seventh time on Sunday.

“This is the best race in the world at this time of the year.

“I’m running to win.

“It’s a tough field with Noguchi and Mungara but I’ve run this race more times than anyone in the elite field and I hope that experience can take me to the top.”