| Toshihiko Seko | |
| Sport: | Men's athletics |
| Event: | 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, half marathon, marathon |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Birth Date: | 15 July 1956 |
| Birth Place: | Kuwana, Mie, Japan |
| Pb: | 3000m 7:56.47[1] |
is a Japanese former long-distance runner. He was a world-class marathon competitor in the 1980s. He represented his native country at the 1984 and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Seko's notable marathon wins include Fukuoka Marathon (1978–1980, 1983), Boston Marathon (1981, 1987), London Marathon (1986) and Chicago Marathon (1986).
On March 22, 1981, Seko set world records at 25,000 m (1:13:55.8) and 30,000 m (1:29:18.8). The records stood for 30 years until they were broken by Moses Mosop in June 2011.[2] On April 20, 1981, Seko shaved one second off Bill Rodgers's course record at the Boston Marathon.[3]
, Seko is a coach at the S & B Foods Track Team and a member of the Tokyo 2016 Olympics Advisory Panel.[4]
He serves on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education from December 21, 2007.[5]
He was devoted to the sport above other interests and once remarked "The marathon is my only girlfriend. I give her everything I have."[6]
| Representing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Asian Championships | Tokyo, Japan | bgcolor=gold | 1st | 10,000 m | 28:59.2a |
| 1984 | Los Angeles, United States | 14th | Marathon | |||
| 1986 | Asian Games | Seoul, South Korea | 3rd | 10,000 m | 29:31.90 | |
| 1988 | Seoul, South Korea | 9th | Marathon | |||
| 1977 | Fukuoka Marathon | Fukuoka, Japan | 5th | Marathon | 2:15:00 | |
| 1978 | Fukuoka, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:10:21 | ||
| 1979 | Fukuoka, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:10:35 | ||
| 1979 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 2nd | Marathon | 2:10:12 | |
| 1980 | Fukuoka, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:09:45 | ||
| 1981 | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:09:26 | ||
| 1983 | Tokyo Marathon | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:08:38 | |
| Fukuoka, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:08:52 | |||
| 1986 | London, United Kingdom | 1st | Marathon | 2:10:02 | ||
| Chicago, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:08:27 | |||
| 1987 | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:11:50 | ||
| 1988 | Lake Biwa Marathon | Ōtsu, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:12:41 |