The four-month World Harmony Run, a global torch relay involving more than 1 million people from more than 80 countries, including Japan, ended Wednesday in New York City.
The relay, which started at the same plaza in April, took place throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia simultaneously. The torch-carrying runners covered a total of about 56,000 km.
The Japanese portion of the run kicked off July 22 in Tokyo's Setagaya Park, with about 400 people taking part. The participants ran through numerous communities, covering about 1,650 km. One of their stops was at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
They reached the finish line Aug. 13 at the Statue of Peace Memorial in Nagasaki.