Aomori City Holds First Full Marathon Event After 2 - Year Delay Due To Pandemic
About 1,100 runners participated in the first full marathon event held in Aomori City, northern Japan on Sunday.
In addition to the full 42.195-kilometer run, the event also included a half-marathon and a 10-kilometer run.
Participants started in six groups beginning from around 9 a.m. They ran under cherry trees that had just started to bloom, including those in Gappo Park which is known for its blossoms.
Fukushi Kayoko, a former Olympian long-distance and marathon runner from Itayanagi Town near Aomori City, who retired in January, joined the participants.
The event, initially planned for 2020, was canceled two years in a row due to the pandemic.
Only people living in Aomori Prefecture were allowed to take part.
A woman who completed the 10-kilometer run says she could not train much due to the pandemic, but she was able to complete the run under one hour as she had hoped.