Photo courtesy Ben Ko
Minagawa competes in the 2018 HOKA ONE ONE Columbus 10K, where she took first place in the women’s division.
When Sakiko Minagawa flew out to Sacramento in early December, she had more in mind than just finishing a race.
She didn’t just need to reach the finish line at the California International Marathon, she needed to hit a specific time – that is, if she were going to achieve the standard time for Olympic qualification.
And so she did. With the Olympic “B” standard time set at 2 hours and 45 minutes, the 2012 Dublin Scioto High School alumna managed to beat it by 11 seconds, marking the latest milestone on her way to professional running glory.
The Starting Line
Photo courtesy of Jeffery S. Hall Photography
Minagawa’s introduction to the track came when she was a seventh-grader at Sells Middle School. She continued through high school, competing in track and cross-country at Scioto, and into college, where she walked onto the track and cross-country teams at The Ohio State University.
As a freshman at Scioto, Minagawa qualified for the OHSAA state meet. At OSU, she completed a 10K quickly enough for an all-time No. 2 ranking, though it has dropped to No. 3 since.
On every team, she was encouraged and inspired by her friends and teammates, who kept the sport enjoyable for her. She gives a lot of credit to her coaches and family members, too.
There’s one family member in particular, though, who she’s quick to mention: her identical twin sister, Minori, who is also a runner. Perhaps more than anyone else, Minagawa says, Minori has pushed her to always do her best, and has given many experiences to appreciate.
“I ran the Stanford Invitational out in California, and I got to run it with my sister,” she says.
Minagawa also has an older brother and a younger sister, but Minori is her inspiration and – when their schedules match up, which can be rare, as both are in graduate school at OSU – her training buddy.
Staying on Track
After graduating from OSU in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, Minagawa found that the urge to run competitively had yet to subside, and she joined CRC Elite, the team fielded by the Columbus Running Company. She already had a relationship with CRC, having shopped at one of the organization’s retail stores for equipment and advice while in high school, so it made sense to reach out when she sought a new avenue to compete.
Among her key goals: running a full marathon. Minagawa has run four half-marathons and one quarter-marathon since earning her undergraduate degree from OSU, but her 2018 December run marked the first time she’d gone the entire 26.2.
After spending much of the summer rehabilitating an injury, Minagawa had only 12 weeks to train for the California International Marathon. She warmed up for it by participating in the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15K in November 2018, placing eighth overall – and second among women – with a time of 54:46. With that success, she knew she was ready for California, and booked her flight the same day.
“I’m really glad I made that decision,” she says.
Minagawa’s ultimate goal was to meet the Olympic qualifying standards, but her goals started small. She wanted to enjoy the experience, and she wanted to keep pace with the other runners who were themselves trying to beat a specific time.
“My goal was to stick with that pack and keep running,” she says.
Photo courtesy of Sakiko Minagawa
Photo courtesy of Sakiko Minagawa
Photo courtesy of Sakiko Minagawa
Photo courtesy of Gopher Track Shots
The Road Ahead
Photo by Jeffery S. Hall Photography
With marathon No. 1 under her belt, Minagawa has turned her sights to 2019. She already has a few races lined up as she works toward qualifying for the 2020 Olympics – and she aims to help Minori qualify as well, she says.
Even as she attempts to climb the ladder to professional success as a runner, Minagawa hopes the success she’s already achieved has a positive effect – inspiring and motivating other up-and-coming runners that hard work and self-discipline pay off.
These days, she has more to focus on than just her running. In addition to training and working a day or two per week at one of the Columbus Running Company’s retail stores, Minagawa is attending graduate school at OSU, studying medical dietetics. She is on track to graduate in the spring with a master’s degree in allied medicine.
It’s a logical field for Minagawa, given the important role nutrition plays in her race preparation. She’s always had an interest in sports performance and the factors that affect it – from diet and exercise to recovery and stress management – and hopes her knowledge and experience will have wider benefits in the future.
“I wanted to pursue more education in dietetics and nutrition to, in the future, help other runners with sports performance,” says Minagawa.
Garth Bishop is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
