particle trouble

[Schattenjedi]

My problem is with this sentence:

商店街の道をヤンが走ってくる。

I don't understand why the particle in this sentence is を and not に. I interpret the sentence as "Yan comes running to the shopping street.". If I have that part right, then shouldn't there be a movement particle to show that he is running towards the street?

[natemb]

を is also used like we use "through" or "along" sometimes. So you could translate it as "Yan comes running (to me) through the market street." You're right that に(or へ) would be correct if he was running towards the street, but the くる ending of the sentence is implying that Yan is coming towards the speaker, not the street.

Other uses for を that involve movement:
バスを おります。- "Get off the bus."
道を 横切る - "Cross the street."

[Schattenjedi]

Thanks for the explanation. It makes sense now.