Cycling Shimanami is a large-scale cycling event with over 6,000 participants. The event was first held in 2014 as a bicycle ride with traffic restrictions on the highway portion of Shimanami Kaido, and has since become extremely popular among cyclists from all over Japan. The 2022 event was held for the first time in four years.

Cycling Shimanami is held every four years as a large-scale event, with a reduced scale mid-size event held in between. In other words, the last large-scale event was held in 2018, followed by a medium-scale event in 2020 (cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic). This year’s event was a great success, with a total of 6,191 runners from 46 prefectures in Japan (except Aomori Prefecture) and 33 countries and regions overseas.

A total of 8 routes

Shimanami Kaido connects Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture and Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture. While it is famous as a cycling course for cyclists, it is also an expressway (Nishi-Seto Expressway) that serves as a trunk road for regional infrastructure and tourism. This event, which is held with traffic restrictions on this important road, is a major event in the local community. The local community is united in supporting the event by announcing the closure of the expressway days in advance.

The event course consists of eight courses ranging from 30km to 140km, including a one-way course starting in Imabari and cycling to Onomichi or from Onomichi to Imabari, a round-trip course between Imabari and Onomichi, and a course that turns around halfway or stops at Yumeshima Kaido (Yumeshima Sea Route) such as Yuge Island. The most popular courses quickly reach capacity and are selected by lottery, making this a highly competitive event.

The 100km course that I participated in this year started from Imabari, rode on the highway to Omishima, circled Omishima on local road, and returned to Imabari again on the well-known Shimanami Kaido (non-highway route). It is a popular route that is easily accessible while enjoying the most exciting venues in Imabari.

There are four aid stations. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of food will be served at the aid stations.

I drove early in the morning to the designated parking lot and from there drove a short distance to the Imabari IC, the starting point. At the first gate, I had a rubber band wrapped around my arm.

Finally, cycling on the highway!

The road leading into the interchange is the waiting area. After waiting in groups in order of number, I  finally started the event. At the signal, I passed through the toll gates and onto the highway. At last, Cycling Shimanami has begun!

Four members from Ehime Prefectural Police Bicycle Unit participated in the event, supporting the participants as they actually cycled. For those of you who thought this was a police cosplay. They are the real thing.

As soon as I started riding, I saw so many people cheering us on along the road.

Just before Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge. On the left is a bus carrying the staff and the tents are toilets. Anyway, you will be surprised to see how many people are involved in the race, such as the sentinels and aid station staff.

Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, the largest bridge on Shimanami Kaido. Normally, this is a road that can only be driven by cars, but on this day, it was occupied by bicycles.

All road joints on the bridge and other bridges are covered to prevent bicycles from getting caught on the handlebars. A tremendous number of covers were prepared for this purpose.

A group led by Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura arrived at Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge. Many of the area’s leaders, including Governor Nakamura and Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, are participating in this event.

AEDs and air injectors were placed throughout the course on the highway. These volunteers have undergone training in the use of AEDs.

Kei Tsuji, a well-known race photographer, was taking pictures while riding on the normal bike path, not on the highway. “It’s exhausting!”,  he said as he passed the participants cycling on the high-speed way. This time he was the official photographer of the event.

The high-speed section ended at Omishima interchange. It all happened so fast.

Large lines at the first aid station

The first aid station was at Tatara Shimanami Park. There was a long line of people waiting there. What was that? I found out that it was a line for drinks and food at the aid station. If you line up patiently, you can get drinks, bread, Setouchi mandarin orange jelly, etc.

“Why do you have a duck on your head?” I asked, “I put it on as a marker so that I can easily recognize my friends, but I think it stands out too much when we gather.”

A couple wearing official jerseys that can be purchased in advance. They look great.

“Kaido Yume Daiko” from Kamiura, Omishima Island, cheered on the participants with their performance. A lion dance (ritual dance with a lion’s mask) also performed.

The support from the locals is too good to be true

Leaving the aid station, I will go around Omishima in a clockwise direction. An electronic bulletin board indicates that the highway is closed to traffic.

Running comfortably along the coast. The blue line is the regular route of Shimanami Kaido.

Volunteers with signs are posted at the places where it is easy to make a mistake in the route. Thank you very much.

This sense of openness. This is truly a sacred place for cyclists.

I found a MAVIC moto. Today, while patrolling Omishima, he supported a participant who had mechanical trouble. Thank you very much.

Riding through the wonderful scenery. Many participants stopped to take pictures at the photo spots along the way. This event does not require group riding, so it is nice to be able to ride at one’s own pace.

Along the roadside, local people were cheering us on while waving stick balloons. Scenes like this could be seen in almost every village. It is very moving.

Lunch listening to a brass band performance by local high school students

The second aid station is Omishima Branch Office. I will have a solid lunch here. The lunch was tai-meshi (sea bream rice), a staple at Shimanami events.
The bread served with it was “mini cream buns” made with Shikoku Dairy Rakuren milk. The package has the event’s logo on it. It was sold at Family Mart ( a convenience store) only in Chugoku and Shikoku area.

At this venue, the annual brass band performance by local high school students. Looking at the different uniforms of the students, I wondered if they were selected from each school in Imabari City.

Leaving Omishima branch office aid station, I once again rode through spectacular scenery.

After circling the island, I returned to Tatara Shimanami Park, which was the first aid station. There is a “sacred place for cyclists” monument here, where you can take a commemorative photo with Tatara Ohashi Bridge, which I did not cross this time, in the background. Many people stopped by to take a rest.

On the road surface, I found paintings of  National Cycle Route.
Shimanami Kaido Cycling Road was the first route to be recognized as a “representative of Japan and a world-class cycling route” at the same time as Biwaichi (lake Biwa cycling route in Shiga prefecture)  and Tsukuba-Kasumigaura Ring-Ring Road (Ibaraki prefecture).

The third aid station feels like a tropical island

The next aid station is Hakata S.C. Park, named after the roadside station where S stands for sports and C for culture. Palm trees lined the beach, creating a tropical image.

Food served here included lemon jelly, Hakata salt yokan (sweet beans jelly), and other sweets. Massage service was also available for the participants who were getting tired.

Here’s a small topic. This is the front bib number that participants put on their bikes.
There is something like a circuit board printed on the back of this number. This is actually the measurement chip for this year’s event. The conventional collecting type (attached to the front fork with a tie wrap) inevitably has some leaks, so this type, which does not require collecting, will be used more often in the future.
This is the first time that this type of bike tipping system has been used in a bicycle event.

Crossing Hakata-Omishima Bridge, I was slowly approaching Imabari.

Then came Oshima’s famous (?) heart-breaking slope. Some participants had to walk up the long uphill that appeared in the latter half of the route.

Last aid station at Yoshiumi Rose Park

I have arrived at the last aid station, Yoshiumi Rose Park. Once here, it is only a matter of time before I reach the finish line.
Participants are relaxing as they take a rest. I recharged my energy levels with island jakoten (small fish tempura), roasted pork, frozen blueberries, and other items.

With the finish line near, there is more time to spare, and many participants stop at the viewpoints to take pictures.
When I asked for a photo, one of them struck a cool pose. The official jersey of the event looks great with Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge in the background!

After passing through the famous loop, I finally reached Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge. On the way there, I rode along the highway section, but on the way back, I went along the bicycle and pedestrian section.
Traffic restrictions on the highway portion have already been lifted. The evening light is gradually changing.

Impressive Finish in the City Center of Imabari

A short distance after crossing Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, you will enter the city center of Imabari.
As you approach the finish line, lanes are restricted on the public road to guide cyclists to safety.

The cyclists then reach the impressive goal at Hirokoji in Imabari City. This is the first time that the finish line is located in the city center.

When the cyclists crossed the finish line, there was a huge line. What was this line for?
At the very end of the line was a panel commemorating the event. Everyone was waiting in line to take a commemorative photo here.
But the line must have been an hour long. I hope the number of panels will be increased next time.

After passing the finish line, the participants were led to go through more arcades.

Then,  “Dondobi-shibacchi Plaza” appeared, lined with a stage and booth tents.
This is where the post-finish event will take place. Talk shows, dance performances, and performances by the prefectural police band were held on the stage, and food were distributed in the tents.
ANA provided the soup, which is the same one they drink on airplanes.

The main dish was Imabari’s award-winning local gourmet “Imabari roasted pork and egg rice”. This was hearty, warm, and good!

Ehime Shinkin Bank members who participated in the event as a group.

The PR mascot of Imabari City, Mr. Barrie. Today he appeared in a Halloween version.
NHK Matsuyama Broadcasting Station booth with a panel of “YOWAMUSHI PEDAL”.

Groups of people were enjoying the day with their friends after the ride.

A group sitting in a circle, scarfing down food. “How did you feel after the ride?”-  “We were very impressed by the cheering of the locals. We hope to come back next time!”

Links

▼CYCLING  SHIMANAMI 2022
https://cycling-shimanami.jp/english/

▼Roadside Station Tatara Shimanami Park
https://toll-road-rest-stop-261.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

▼Roadside Station Hakata S・C Park
http://imabari-shimanami.jp/hakata/

▼Yoshiumi Rose Park
https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/kouen/yosiumi/

Summary

This is the largest cycling event in Japan in terms of both number of participants and scale.
The entire event was overflowing with energy to accomplish an event that was, by all accounts, reckless in that it involved stopping the expressway to ride bicycles.
I realized that this is the driving force behind the “Shimanami of the World”.  I was also reminded that Shimanami’s cycling environment is exceptional, with its seaside scenery and dynamic bridge crossings.
I was also impressed by the fact that the participants were enjoying themselves to the fullest. I would like to enjoy another course in four years. I would like to come back to see the “Shimanami Kaido” and “Cycling Shimanami,” which will probably have evolved even further. I strongly felt that way.

▼Event Information
Name of the event: Setouchi Shimanami Kaido International Cycling Event  CYCLING SHIMANAMI 2022
Date: October 30, 2022 (Sun)
Venue:Imabari City・Kamijima Town (Ehime Prefecture),  Onomichi City (Hiroshima Prefecture)
Organizer: Cycling Shimanami 2022 Executive Committee