Kawauchi Wins Nemuro Seaside Half, Gets a Whole Crab

The 2nd Nemuro Seaside Half Marathon took place under the blue skies of summer along the Nemuro Peninsula, the participating runners traversing the extremity Japan's northeastern coast. 1053 people were entered in the event's half marathon, 10 km, 5 km, 3 km and 1 km divisions, an increase from last year. Every finisher received an entire hanasaki crab, the seasonal local specialty giving more than enough motivation to spur them on to the finish line.

In the day's main race, the half marathon, 417 people were entered. Lining up alongside guest runner Yuki Kawauchi, they shot out across the starting line with the firing of the gun at 9:00 a.m. sharp. From views of the Pacific Ocean in the first half they passed through a pastoral dairy farmland scene in the middle of the race and on to the panorama of the Sea of Okhotsk in the second half before a finish line in the heart of the town. Kawauchi was first to the finish line in 1:06:39. Whether first or last, everyone in the race experienced the full sensation of Japan's easternmost coastland.

source article:
https://www.asahi.com/articles/CMTW1808200100006.html
translated by Brett Larner