Conditions at Sunday's Sendai International Half Marathon were too hot for fast times, but for Paris Olympics marathon team members Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) and Naoki Koyama (Honda) it was a pretty good test run for what they'll up against come August. Marathon NR holder Maeda had no problems soloing the win, running 1:11:17 to finish 1:17 ahead of 2nd-placer Yuki Nakamura (Panasonic). Rie Kawauchi (Otsuka Seiyaku) was 3rd in 1:12:58.
Koyama was a little shakier at 6th in 1:03:23 in the men's race, not exactly a bad day but not up to the no-miss form he's had over the last two years either. In his place, Koyama's Honda teammate Ken Nakayama scored the men's win, out kicking Kenyans Paul Kuira (JR Higashi Nihon) and Benard Kimeli (Fujitsu) on the track to take the win in 1:02:31. Kuira was 2nd in 1:02:32 and Kimeli 3rd in 1:02:36.
Sendai International Half Marathon
Sendai, Miyagi, 12 May 2024
Women
1. Honami Maeda 1:11:17
2. Yuki Nakamura 1:12:34
3. Rie Kawauchi 1:12:58
4. Madoka Nakano 1:13:22
5. Chiharu Ikeda 1:14:30
6. Mao Kiyota 1:15:20
7. Mirai Waku 1:15:23
8. Misato Horie 1:17:46
9. Saya Furumoto 1:18:02
10. Hinako Suzuki 1:19:18
Men
1. Ken Nakayama 1:02:31
2. Paul Kuira (KEN) 1:02:32
3. Benard Kimeli (KEN) 1:02:36
4. Patrick Wambui (KEN) 1:02:44
5. Shunsuke Nagata 1:02:50
6. Naoki Koyama 1:03:23
7. Akihiro Kaneko 1:03:52
8. Kiyohito Akiyama 1:03:54
9. Haruka Kawamura 1:04:06
10. Ryoma Inoue 1:04:23
11. Hiromasa Kumahashi 1:04:36
12. Kenji Yamamoto 1:04:42
13. Yuta Shitara 1:04:54
14. James Bunuka (KEN) 1:04:54
15. Ryota Natori 1:05:04
16. Sota Morohoshi 1:05:16
17. Hayato Miyashita 1:05:22
18. Shoma Hosoya 1:05:25
19. Shun Sadakata 1:05:32
20. Atsumu Yoshida 1:05:36
21. Tatsuya Furukawa 1:05:44
22. Hirosuke Sato 1:05:56
23. Shinya Ohashi 1:05:57
24. Takayuki Matsuura 1:06:12
25. Yuta Shimoda 1:06:20
26. Kyota Iwashima 1:06:22
27. Kenta Murayama 1:06:40
© 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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