Shikama and Njeri Win Sendai International Half Marathon

Shunsuke Shikama (Logisteed) and Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) won the Sendai International Half Marathon Sunday in Sendai, Shikama in 1:01:31 and Njeri in 1:09:20. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) was the top Japanese woman at 2nd overall.

The men's race went through 5 km in 14:34 and 10 km in 29:22. Shikama ran alongside top competition including Shoki Yamaguchi (Soka Univ.), who has been running well in half marathons this season, and Tokyo World Championships marathon team member Naoki Koyama (Honda). On a course with many small ups and downs, Shikama attacked on a downhill just after 15 km, quickly breaking free of the lead group of 7. 13 seconds up by 20 km, Shikama covered the last 1.0975 km in 3:06 to seal his first Sendai title.

A graduate of Juntendo University, Shikama is in his 4th season with Logisteed. At the 2024 National Corporate Half Marathon he ran 1:00:41, and at last year's East Japan Corporate Ekiden he won the Third Stage. In his marathon debut in Osaka this past February he ran 2:07:45, and he next plans to target qualifying for the MGC Race Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. "Winning here today gives me a lot of confidence," he said post-race.

Hitoshi Okahara (Chudenko) was 2nd in 1:01:46, with Yamaguchi 3rd in 1:01:51. Koyama dropped to 7th in 1:02:31.

In the women's race Njeri broke free of the rest of the field after only 7 km and sailed on to the win. After going through 10 km in 33:34 Nishimura picked up the pace in the 2nd half, ultimately finishing in 1:10:30. Kaede Kawamura (Iwatani Sangyo) was 3rd in 1:10:34.

Sendai International Half Marathon

Sendai, Miyagi, 10 May 2026

complete results

Men

1. Shunsuke Shikama (Logisteed) - 1:01:31

2. Hitoshi Okahara (Chudenko) - 1:01:46

3. Shoki Yamaguchi (Soka Univ.) - 1:01:51

4. Shin Kimura (Honda) - 1:01:58

5. Wilson Lemangale (NTN) - 1:02:02

6. Bedan Karoki (Toyota) - 1:02:03

7. Naoki Koyama (Honda) - 1:02:31

8. Kento Nishi (Osaka Gas) - 1:02:44

9. Ryoma Takeuchi (ND Software) - 1:02:47

10. Takuma Takemura (SG Holdings) - 1:02:49

Women

1. Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:09:20

2. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) - 1:10:30

3. Kaede Kawamura (Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:10:34

4. Miku Hirashima (Tenmaya) - 1:11:20

5. Hikaru Kitagawa (Univ. Ent.) - 1:11:53

6. Rie Kawauchi (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:11:57

7. Rina Sasaki (Sekisui Kagaku) - 1:11:59

8. Sally Chepyego Kaptich (Kraftia) - 1:12:15

9. Sakiho Tsutsui (Univ. Ent.) - 1:12:32

10. Yuki Nakamura (Panasonic) - 1:12:53

source article:

https://www.rikujyokyogi.co.jp/archives/206843

translated by Brett Larner

Ayaka Suzuki, Younger Sister of Olympic Marathoner Yuka Suzuki, Faces Final East Japan Women's Ekiden

The final edition of the East Japan Women's Ekiden takes place Nov. 10. 18 teams representing the eastern prefectures will bring high-level women's competition to the streets of Fukushima. Getting attention on the Akita team is Ayaka Suzuki , the younger sister of Paris Olympics marathon 6th-placer Yuka Suzuki . Ayaka is a 3rd-year at Akita's Omagari H.S. She began running seriously after entering high school, citing her sister's influence. "When I saw her winning her stages and helping her team in university ekidens, I thought that I might be able to do the same and decided to give it a try," she said. Before her excellent run at the Paris Olympics Yuka ran the East Japan Women's Ekiden 3 times, inspiring others as she went from a young athlete to one of the best in the world. "I was surprised that she was competitive at that level," said Ayaka. "When I saw how strong she was running it really moved me." In junior high school Ayaka w...

CR Holder Teruki Shimada Returns to Launceston Half - Preview and Streaming

Last year's McGrath Launceston Running Festival Peppers Silo Half Marathon in Tasmania, Australia shaped out into a great Australia vs. Japan dual meet , with Jessica Stenson outrunning Yumi Yoshikawa to take the women's title in a 1:09:51 CR, and Teikyo University school record holder Teruki Shimada executing a tactically brilliant race to drop Isaac Heyne , then-NR holder Brett Robinson , and Teikyo teammate Jinya Ozaki for the win in 1:01:12, just a second off the Australian all-comers record. Marathon NR holder Andy Buchanan took that record down to 1:01:08 at the Gold Coast Half a month later, but its chances of surviving this weekend aren't looking good. Shimada leads last year's top 4 back to Launceston this year, and there's a lot of tough new competition. 2025 National Corporate Half winner Tsubasa Ichiyama , Australia's Haftu Strintzos , new Teikyo record holder Yuta Asakawa and American Ethan Shuley have all run faster that Buchanan's rec...

Weekend Track and Road Update

Kanto Regionals were the big domestic meet this weekend, but there were other important results here and overseas. At the Xiamen Diamond League meet: 110 mH NR holder Rachid Muratake (JAL) was 2nd in 13.13 (+0.5) behind winner Jamal Britt (U.S.A.) in 13.07. The only other Japanese athlete in Xiamen, women's javelin throw NR holder Haruka Kitaguchi (JAL) was 7th at 60.08, down from her performance last week at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix Meet in Tokyo and eclipsed by the brilliant all-time #2 71.74 m throw by China's Ziyi Yan . 4 Japanese athletes ran at the Sound Running L.A,.Track Fest meet, 3 of them graduates of Kyoto's Rakunan H.S. like Kanto Regionals D1 men's 5000 m winner Kaisei Okada (Chuo Univ.). The only non-Rakunan guy there, Hibiki Obara (GMO) ran only 8:33.21 for 9th in the men's 3000 mSC A-heat. Daichi Shibata (Chuo Univ.) was last in the same heat in 8:49.91. Itta Tameike (SG Holdings) had a great run in the men's 5000 m B-heat, breakin...

japan running news

Search This Blog