The organizers of the 2022 Tohoku Fudo Marathon, scheduled for Apr. 24, have announced that it has been canceled due to extensive damage in the host town of Tome, Miyagi from the earthquake that struck the region on Mar. 16. In its place, organizers will hold a virtual race.
According to city government officials, roads and other public facilities in the area sustained over 765 million yen [$6.1 million USD] damage in the earthquake. "The famous Dutch windmill in Naganuma Foodopia Park, the main staging ground for the race, was damaged, and damage to the roads used in the marathon has been found in more than ten locations," said a spokesperson. Given the race's original purpose and the safety risk to runners the decision was made to cancel.
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The virtual race will take place from Apr. 24 to May 21 using the ASICS Runkeeper fitness tracking app, and will include three distances, 5 km, half marathon and full marathon. Each division costs 1500 yen and is limited to 2000 runners. The Tome Food Festival held alongside the marathon will also be done online. "Your participation will still help support the areas hit by the disaster, so please join us for this run," said officials.
Translator's note: The Tohoku Fudo Marathon was last held in 2019, canceled the last two years due to the pandemic.
translated by Brett Larner
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