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Maeda and Maina Win 25th Running of the Sendai International Half Marathon

http://www.kahoku.co.jp/tohokunews/201505/20150511_14015.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Breaking the event's old record by 349 people, a record-setting 13,932 participants took part in the 25th running of the Sendai International Half Marathon on May 10 in central Sendai, Miyagi.

In the day's main event, the JAAF-certified half marathon division starting and ending at the municipal track and field grounds on the city's south side, defending champion Johana Maina (Kenya/Team Fujitsu) ran 1:02:33 to win the men's race again, his second-straight and third overall Sendai title.  His teammate and 2014 World Half Marathon Championships Japanese national team member Sota Hoshi (Team Fujitsu) was 3rd in 1:03:11, while 2015 World Championships marathoner Masakazu Fujiwara took 6th in 1:03:51.  2014 Asian Games marathon bronze medalist Yuki Kawauchi was 30th.

In the women's race, 2015 World Championships marathoner Sairi Maeda (Team Daihatsu) opened a 46-second lead over 2014 World Half Marathon Championships team member Risa Takenaka to win in 1:10:24.  Maeda's Beijing teammate Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya) was a distant 3rd in 1:13:26.  Three-time men's wheelchair champion Masayuki Higuchi (Baristride) picked up a fourth title in 47:46.

25th Sendai International Half Marathon
Sendai, Miyagi, 5/10/15
click here for complete results

Men
1. Johana Maina (Kenya/Fujitsu) - 1:02:33
2. Ezekiel Chebotitin (Kenya/Toho Refine) - 1:02:34
3. Sota Hoshi (Fujitsu) - 1:03:11
4. Yuichiro Ueno (DeNA) - 1:03:21
5. Hiroaki Sano (Honda) - 1:03:41
6. Masakazu Fujiwara (Honda) - 1:03:51
-----
30. Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 1:08:36

Women
1. Sairi Maeda (Daihatsu) - 1:10:24
2. Risa Takenaka (Shiseido) - 1:11:10
3. Risa Shigetomo (Tenmaya) - 1:13:26
4. Yui Okada (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:13:55
5. Fumiko Hashimoto (Shimamura) - 1:15:26

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TokyoRacer said…
It was 20C and sunny, so even higher? - a bit warm for a half - and windy, but all in all a good day to run. Really nice race through the streets of Sendai, a very green city.
May 11, 2015 at 6:54 PM
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