By AZUMI FUKUOKA/ Staff Writer
July 31, 2017 at 16:10 JST
FUKUOKA--Thundering footsteps of sumo wrestlers running together could be enough to trigger another earthquake, but fortunately for the people of Kumamoto Prefecture, this make-believe herd was only here to provide some cheer.
Braving a blazing sun, the runners sported balloon-like sumo wrestler costumes to take part in a fun event on July 30 for the victims of the earthquakes that rocked the prefecture in April 2016.
An estimated 160 participants wore the inflated outfits for the duration of the 5.55-kilometer Sumo Run in Maizuru Park.
As the runners charged forward, their bulky “bodies” wobbled, and some got into the spirit of sumo by imitating wrestlers’ moves, such as hand thrusts.
A fully fledged Sumo Run event with about 1,000 runners is planned for Kumamoto Prefecture in October to raise funds for victims of the disaster.
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The Sumo Run event is crowded with runners wearing balloon-like sumo wrestler costumes in Fukuoka on July 30. (Azumi Fukuoka)
