A Spectator’s Account of the 4th Hitachi Sakura Road Race

  The Road Race was kicked off with an opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on April 11th (Sun.) at the Civic Center. There were 6,627 participants 3 to 82 years old in the race, male /female, young /old, even children. They came from all over Japan from Fukuoka to Hokkaido. There were overseas participants from Canada and Kenya. The “Sakura” (cherry blossom) was in full bloom throughout Hitachi, and the weather was also very fine indeed for April.
  The course itself ran partially through the main shopping area of Hitachi. Also the competitors were able to enjoy the beautiful cherry tree lined Heiwa Street as they headed on to the coastal route of Kaigan Street. They also enjoyed dressing up in their favorite running costumes. The race was divided up into 31 categories like “Men under 39” or “High School Girls” etc. Whoever finished the whole course got a certificate recording their category and final position within that category. Many people were thus able to have confirmation of their times. One feature of this race is that it takes place late in the marathon road race season. So it is a last chance for participants to try themselves out, and for this reason is becoming more and more popular every year. The organizers of the event and its supporters were firstly anxious about causing traffic congestion, so cautionary boards saying “Don’t use this road during the race” were set up on poles in strategic places along the course of the race a month before the event itself. Thanks to everyone’s cooperation, in the end there were no accidents or injuries.
  Sarah Power from Montreal, Canada, who ran in the 10 km race, gave her impressions of the race in the following way: “I received such a lot of warm hearted encouragement from the spectators. I also enjoyed the wonderful cheery tree lined “Heiwa Street” part of the course and the coastal landscape very much. But there were many steep slopes and ascents were particularly hard on me. However, I want to run this course again next year.”

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