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Massive sinkhole forms near famed Fukuoka Marathon course in Japan

A massive sinkhole formed on Tuesday in southwestern Japan less than 300 metres away from the Fukuoka International Marathon course.

Fukuoka Marathon Sinkhole

A massive sinkhole has formed just blocks away from the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship course in Japan. According to the Japan Times, the sinkhole formed on Tuesday morning and disrupted traffic, power transmission and banking systems in the southwestern Japanese city.

The Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship, set for Dec. 4, runs just 2.5 blocks from where the street-wide hole emerged. The road caved in at approximately 5 a.m. local time. Canadian Reid Coolsaet announced recently that he will be running the famed race, his first marathon since the Rio Olympics.

RELATED: Two-time Olympian Reid Coolsaet to run the 2016 Fukuoka Marathon.

Canadian Jerome Drayton set the national marathon record in Fukuoka in 1975 at 2:10:09. Dylan Wykes ran the Fukuoka International Marathon in 2015 but withdrew near the halfway point of the race.

Location of the sinkhole versus the Fukuoka International Marathon course

Fukuoka Marathon

The sinkhole is believed to have formed in close proximity to construction for an extension of the Nanakuma subway line. The sight of the incident is near the Hakata Station, a major railway terminal in the city of approximately 1.5 million. The sinkhole is located at approximately the 22-23K-mark of the course.

According to the Japan Times, the sinkhole is likely caused by water flowing into tunnels at the site. It’s believed to be 15-20 metres deep and 27 metres wide.

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