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50000 Enter to Run New Fukuoka Marathon

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/f_toshiken/article/90266

translated by Brett Larner

With the closure of entries, on May 23 the organizing committee of the new Fukuoka Marathon scheduled to be held Nov. 9 announced its final tally of applicants.  46547 people applied to run the event's full marathon, which has a field limit of 10000. 1000 of those places have already been assigned in a separate entry lottery for local residents.  The other 9000 runners will be selected from among the remaining 45547 applicants including locals not selected in that lottery, a 5.06:1 applicant-to-runner ratio.  Results of the lottery will be announced in mid-June.

3320 people also applied to run the event's 5 km fun run, which has a maximum field size of 2000.  4 people applied for the 5 km wheelchair division, which can accommodate up to 20.  Altogether the three divisions totalled 49871 applicants.

Translator's note: This is a completely separate event from the long-standing Fukuoka International Marathon held four weeks later.  The Fukuoka International Marathon's URL, confusingly enough, is http://www.fukuoka-marathon.com/, while the new Fukuoka Marathon's is http://f-marathon.jp/.  With police strict about issuing road closure permits the new event must put pressure on the venerable elite Fukuoka International Marathon.  Talk of a possible move to February for that event seems more likely in light of the new mass-participation race.

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