As evacuation orders are being lifted due to the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the Tour de Futaba, a cycling competition set in the area around the nuclear power plant, was held for the first time in order to convey the current state of Fukushima, which is undergoing reconstruction, both domestically and internationally.
On the morning of the 15th, the first day of the Tour de Futaba, the Fukushima Cycling Federation and other organizations participated, about 7 people between the ages of 81 and 100 participated in a cycling competition on a 40-kilometer-long lap course.
Departing from Futaba Town in August last year, where residents finally began to return, the participants ran at their own speed through the disaster-stricken area in the rain, looking at the elementary schools damaged by the tsunami and the scenery along the sea.
A 8-year-old man from Yamagata City, who participated with his 10-year-old son, said, "Children don't know about the disaster, so I think it's a good initiative for them to learn about the earthquake and nuclear accident while cycling."
In the afternoon, the race was held on National Route 48, which runs through Okuma Town and Futaba Town, where the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is located, with the down line closed for nearly 6 kilometers, and about 6 competitors competed for time in each category.
This section was still restricted to pedestrians and bicycles more than 40 years after the nuclear accident, and the athletes were pedaling hard because they were finally able to pass freely after the evacuation order was lifted in August last year.
On the 10th, the road race will be held again with National Route 8 between Futaba Town and Okuma Town partially closed to traffic.
Cycling Coach "I want you to see, feel, and enjoy it."
Local officials were eagerly awaiting this race, which will be held with National Route 6 closed to traffic even if they wanted to run for a long time due to the nuclear power plant accident.
Hisakatsu Komatsu, the cycling coach of Taira Technical High School in Iwaki City, is one of them.
Currently, I train based at the velodrome in the city, but before the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear accident, I practiced every day through the roads of Futaba Town and Okuma Town, and on days when classes were held, I ran about 1 to 70 km round trip to Minamisoma City after school, and on my days off, I ran about 80 km round trip to Soma City near the border with Miyagi Prefecture. I was practicing on the road.
However, the huge earthquake caused cracks in roads and undulating pavements in various places, and the practice environment changed completely.
After a while, he was able to resume training, but there was no suitable path for road practice.
Still, in order to secure a practice course, when evacuation orders due to the nuclear accident began to be lifted, Komatsu measured the radiation levels on the roads where they were able to run and searched for a safe place for the students to run.
Mr. Komatsu recalled, "I always carried a dosimeter with me, drove to check it before letting the students run, got off at some places and measured it.
He made a document recording the radiation levels around the course and distributed them to parents, and while gaining their consent, he gradually expanded the number of places to run, but he still felt anxious.
Mr. Komatsu said, "Since the students were teenagers, their parents were also worried, and there were times when they wondered if they could run on the road, such as the road where they would run while seeing the soil from decontamination stored on both sides of the road.
The section of National Route 100 around the nuclear power plant has been open to bicycles since August last year, but since evacuation orders were in place until recently, members of the club have not yet run their routes.
Mr. Komatsu, who will send the athletes to the competition, said, "I didn't predict that I would be able to run in that area, so I am deeply moved that I can really run.
In addition, the participating students shared their aspirations, such as "I want to do my best to win the championship by doing what I have practiced" and "I want everyone to see the reconstruction of Fukushima now, and I want to enjoy running and getting results."
"I'm glad my student won."
Coach Hisakatsu Komatsu of the Fukushima Prefectural Taira Technical High School cycling team saw off the three students at the start of the time trial.
Of these, third-year student Ryusei Watanabe won the high school division in which 3 people participated, and Komatsu said, "National Route 3, which I saw for the first time in a long time, is much cleaner, and I'm really glad that I was able to race here.
Mr. Watanabe, who won the championship, said, "Before the nuclear accident, my grandparents lived in Namie Town, so I used to take National Route 24 a lot, so I'm happy to win in a place that I have a lot of feelings for."