Iwate Prefecture

Summer in Morioka is officially over which means the weather is starting to cool down and runners everywhere are taking advantage of it. Long winters can make running difficult, not to mention, dangerous, here and late spring and autumn are the perfect time to get outside and explore the city. This year on Sunday, October 27 starting from 9 am, the first Morioka Marathon will be held. For those non-runners, it’s probably not a big deal, but it’s exciting to watch regardless and for tourism, it’s quite the draw. Firstly, it’s being marketed as the first and only full marathon in the Tohoku region. Traveling to participate in running events can be expensive so for locals or people in this area, it’s sure to be one of the big events of the year. Secondly, the course is also approved by the Japan Athletics Federation so it’s going to attract professional athletes and therefore, impressive times. In Japan, it’s common for people to say they’re doing a marathon, but it doesn’t always mean the 42.195 km. In this case, there is a full marathon as well as a fun run of 8.8 km (some people might think that’s too long for fun!)…