Mizuki Noguchi: Japan’s Second Straight Olympic Marathon Champion
Mizuki Noguchi: Japan’s Second Straight Olympic Marathon Champion
Athens 2004 marathon gold in brutal heat, ahead of Radcliffe and Ndereba. Here is the career of Mizuki Noguchi.
Mizuki Noguchi won the women’s marathon at the Athens 2004 Olympics in 2:26:20, holding off the late charge of Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba by just 12 seconds in brutal heat. Her victory gave Japan a second consecutive Olympic women’s marathon gold, after Naoko Takahashi in Sydney.
1. Gold in Athens
A front-running masterclass.
On 22 August 2004, in temperatures topping 35°C on the classic Marathon-to-Athens course, Noguchi pushed the pace and won gold in 2:26:20.1
2. Beating the best
A field of champions.
She held off a stellar field including world-record holder Paula Radcliffe and 2003 world champion Catherine Ndereba, edging Ndereba by just 12 seconds.1
3. Japan’s marathon golden age
Back-to-back Olympic golds.
Noguchi’s win was Japan’s second straight Olympic women’s marathon gold, following Naoko Takahashi in 2000 — the peak of a golden era for Japanese women’s distance running.1
4. Why she matters
A symbol of Japanese endurance running.
Noguchi cemented Japan’s place at the front of women’s marathoning, a strength rooted in the country’s deep ekiden and distance-running culture.
Frequently asked questions
What did Mizuki Noguchi win?
The women’s marathon gold at the Athens 2004 Olympics, in 2:26:20.
Who did she beat?
A field including Paula Radcliffe and Catherine Ndereba — she edged Ndereba by 12 seconds.
Why was it significant for Japan?
It was Japan’s second consecutive Olympic women’s marathon gold, after Naoko Takahashi in 2000.
Keep exploring
Explore the stories, systems and culture behind Japanese sport.
Sources & notes
- Athens 2004 marathon gold 2:26:20, edged Ndereba by 12s in 35°C+; field incl. Radcliffe; Japan’s 2nd straight women’s marathon gold after Takahashi. Wikipedia; 2004 women’s marathon.
A profile dated 21 June 2026. No copyrighted material is reproduced.
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