The only exercise you can do in winter is shoveling snow... If that sounds like you, how about this? Hokkaido in winter. The snow and cold tend to keep you indoors, but in the midst of all that... Runner: "It's nice weather, so it's easy to run, but I'm looking forward to it!" Runners sprinting through the course on the snow. Runner: "It felt good to run in the snow." And the course where you can run inside a spacious dome is also very popular! We're going to hit the winter running boom once more. Hakko Gakuen in Toyohira Ward, Sapporo. There were many people there doing careful warm-up exercises... The Hokkaido Snow Marathon, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, was held on the 28th of last month. A total of about 500 people participated in the 3km and 10km races, which ran on the snowy course. They enjoyed the winter run. Participant: "It was my first time doing a snow marathon, and I almost fell a few times because my feet slipped, but I had a great time running." "The scenery is amazing, and you can see Mt. Moiwa, so it's fun." Now it's time to run in winter! Coach Toru Sakuda of the citizen runner team "Saku.AC Hokkaido" explains the background to this... Coach Toru Sakuda of Saku.AC Hokkaido: "The COVID-19 pandemic hit just as I was getting into running, and after three years of nothing, the day has finally come when I can run again, and people who wanted to run, not only in winter but also in summer, are coming all at once." As the COVID-19 epidemic calms down, competitions such as the Hokkaido Marathon are back. More and more people are running in winter to maintain their physical strength, with summer as their goal. The popularity of winter running has also reached sports stores... Sports Xebio Dome Sapporo Tsukisamu Store Chief Tomohito Nishihama: "I think the demand for winter marathons has increased significantly, so we have been increasing the number of winter running shoes since last year." This store has had a section for winter shoes for the past five years. Sales have been on the rise due to improved shoe performance and an increase in winter competitions. The features of the shoes are... Sports Xebio Dome Sapporo Tsukisamu Store Chief Nishihama Tomohito "Waterproof and non-slip are required. Unlike normal shoes, the sole has deep grooves and can be used on snowy roads." To prevent slipping on snowy roads, the sole of the shoes has small bumps. You can see the difference when comparing it to summer shoes. AC Hokkaido Manager Sakuda Toru "Since winter road shoes have become more abundant, more people are going outside with peace of mind." On the other hand, there is also a perfect place for people who don't like snow or cold. Sapporo Dome Public Relations Department Chief Shonai Daisuke "Sapporo Dome is open to the public as a running course in the winter for the citizens. I think you can run comfortably regardless of the weather or temperature." Since 2012, Sapporo Dome has opened the third floor concourse to the public for running on days when there are no events during the winter. One lap is 716 meters, making it the longest indoor running course in Sapporo City. User: "I think it would be difficult to run if I fell (on a snowy road), so I mainly run indoors in the winter." "The course is wide, so there is plenty of room even if you run side by side. Running together and stimulating each other is a good way to improve your level." It costs 350 yen per session and is open from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and on busy days, about 100 people come to work up a sweat. In addition to the Hokkaido Snow Marathon, winter running competitions are held in Takino, Minami-ku, Sapporo, Nayoro City, Chitose City, Betsukai Town, and other parts of Hokkaido. Among them, the "Betsukai Ice Marathon" is quite unique. The course is on the frozen Notsuke Bay, that is, on the sea! It is the only marathon in Japan that does not run on land at all. The ice on Notsuke Bay is more than 50 centimeters thick. A 4.2 km course is set up here, and participants run one to ten laps. Betsukai Town, which is suffering from depopulation, held the event for the first time last year with the aim of revitalizing the area. Of the 100 participants, more than half were from outside Hokkaido, including people from Canada and Singapore. Hokkaido has a lot of snow and ice, so this may be a way to use that to liven up the town. Updated Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 7:24 pm #Hokkaido #News #HBC ◆Please subscribe to the HBC News channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTp