A 100-kilometer marathon that offers tasty udon noodles to runners was held in the western Japan prefecture of Kagawa in early March.
The "Ultra Udon Maranic 2023 Chusan Special," a two-day event of "maranic," combining a marathon and a picnic, requires participants to run and eat udon at eight "aid stations" (udon restaurants) along the route.
Participants were solicited on Nov. 1, 2022, and the slots evaporated in 45 minutes. Kagawa is well known for udon noodles.
The route was divided into 45 km on the first day and 55 km on the second day. Some 150 people took part in the event from around Japan, including some in cosplay.
Udon is offered in various forms at the aid stations along the event route, and the participants can order toppings of their preference for a fee.
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