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The Fukuoka Marathon 2015 was held on Sunday, November 8, 2015 along a course from downtown Fukuoka City to the city of Itoshima. A cheering squad and the cheerleading team Etoiles joined other students, staff, and faculty members from Kyushu University in cheering on the runners at the side of the road on the Ito Campus. The overall winner of this year’s marathon was Shogo Momota of Kyushu University’s Athletics Club.
Held for the second time this year, the Fukuoka Marathon welcomed around 12,000 runners chosen by ballot from among applications from both within and outside the prefecture, and was run along a 42.195km course along the coast from central Fukuoka to the verdant surroundings of the Itoshima Peninsula. Spectators welcomed and waved off a large number of the participating runners as they passed through the Ito Campus, which is located about 20km along the course. A large number of the Japanese and international students living around the Ito Campus turned out to line the streets, shouting warm words of encouragement to the runners. Many of the runners were visibly cheered by the lively chants of the cheer squad, the performances by the cheerleading team, and the shouts of encouragement from students, staff and faculty members.
Feedback from the runners included such comments as, “The warm reception we received on the Ito Campus helped to spur me on.”