1,300 Cyclists Participate in Tour de Tohoku 2024

Ishinomaki, Miyagi Pref., Sept. 15 (Jiji Press)--About 1,300 people participated in the Tour de Tohoku 2024 on Sunday, cycling through coastal areas in northeastern Japan, including the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, that were hit by the March 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami.

The event is designed to support reconstruction efforts in the affected areas, and participants do not compete for time or rankings but aim to complete the race.

At the starting point, Ishinomaki Senshu University, participants observed a moment of silence for the victims of the disaster before setting off on their bikes.

Participants cycled in three courses of 65, 100, and 180 kilometers amid occasional rain while enjoying the scenery of the ria coast and mountains. At rest stops, some participants tasted local delicacies.

At the disaster site of Okawa Elementary School, where a total of 84 children and teachers were killed in the tsunami, some cyclists got off their bikes and quietly prayed with their hands together.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]