MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- More than 750 men and women sweated, strained and ran in the 38th Annual Kintai Marathon here.
Approximately 750 Station and Iwakuni residents took part in the two-part marathon.
The marathon was divided into two separate races, said Turbo Uemura, IronWorks Gym recreational specialist. The full marathon was 26.2 miles and the half race was 13.1 miles.
Last year's marathon was host to only 150 people, said Billie Scott, IronWorks Gym health promotions director. "This year's marathon had a better turnout."
For the past ten years the marathon has taken place here on the Station, said Uemura. The race used to go beyond the front gates of the Station, but due to growing traffic and constant construction, the route of the race was changed to four laps around the Station for the full marathon and twice around for the half marathon.
This year's marathon proved to be a good turnout, said Scott. "Events like this bring friendship between the Station and the community."
"This is a good way for both cultures to come together. There are over 750 participants in the marathon. About 500 hundred of these people are Japanese. There was a large response to the event," said Uemura.
Tracey Iguina, Dickinson, N.D., native, is a four-time marathon runner and does not have lukewarm feelings about the runs until after it's over.
"Every time I finish a run I say to myself 'I will never run another one again,'" she said.
"It's painful. My feet hurt, my knees are swollen, but it's okay," said Aaron R. States, marathon runner who completed the full race in 4 hours and 50 minutes.
"If anyone runs a marathon, they will have to train a lot prior to it," according to the first-time runner. "A runner has to work themselves up to it."
For the full marathon, the winners were Tetsuaki Nomoto coming in at 2 hours, 24 minutes and 56 seconds; for the men's division, and Noriko Yamamoto completing the run with a time of 3 hours, 30 minutes, and 31 seconds; for the women's division.
Half marathon winners were Manabu Isozaki, for the men's division, coming in at 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 56 seconds, and Iquina, with a run time of 1 hour, 30 minutes, and 45 seconds.