Harnessing Talent Athlete

Mara Yamauchi (née Myers) - Marathon Winner and Olympian – Athletics

Biography:

Mara currently holds the second fastest time by a British woman over the marathon, behind the world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe.

She started running while at school, but took up running seriously when she was an undergraduate at university, competing mainly in cross-country races. After finishing her studies, Mara joined the British Foreign Ministry, in 1996. In 1997 she earned her first GB vest, finishing 38th in the European Cross Country championships. In 1998 she won the English National Cross Country championships.

She ran her first marathon in April 2004 at the London marathon, placing 17th in 2:39:16. She also earned selection for GB again, running in the Chiba Ekiden relay race in Japan in November 2004. In 2005 she ran her second marathon (2:31:52) at London, earning selection for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, where she finished 18th and won a team bronze medal. In November 2005 she ran another PB, this time in the Tokyo International Women’s marathon (2:27:38).

In December 2005 she was selected for GB’s support scheme for elite athletes and in 2006 she took unpaid leave from the FCO to focus on preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic marathon, and moved to Tokyo, Japan with her husband. Yamauchi won the bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games 10,000m race. In April 2006 she became the 2nd fastest British woman ever behind world record-holder Paula Radcliffe, finishing 6th in the London marathon (2:25:13). On September 10, 2006 Mara won the Rotterdam Half Marathon finishing in 1:10:36. On 22 April 2007 Mara  was the leading Briton in the London Marathon, finishing 6th.

In April 2007 she joined Second Wind AC, and set a new personal best in winning the 2008 Osaka Marathon in a time of 2:25:10.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Mara stepped out of the shadow of Paula Radcliffe (who came 23rd) and equalled the best performance by a British woman in the marathon by finishing 6th in a time of 2 hrs 27 mins 29 secs.

In 2009, she came second in the London Marathon setting a personal best time of 2:23:12 after earlier setting a half marathon PB when she won in Marugame (68m 29secs).

Click here to see Mara's Competitive History

Sporting Information:
Event - Long distance track and road running
Current  Club – Harrow AC, Second Wind AC
First Club -  Headington Road Runners

Location:       
Place of Birth – Oxford     
Current Address – Tokyo     
   
Find out more:
UK Athletics - www.uka.org.uk/