The Mount Daisetsu Trail on Japan’s northern Hokkaido island witness a great dual between long-time ATM Championship protagonists Jeff Campbell and Hisashi Kitamura. Campbell had just looked amazing in beating John Ray Onifa at UTSG 50 two weeks ago, but the ever battle-ready Kitamura was not intimidated and took his second consecutive victory at Daisetsu ahead of the Hong Kong Canadian by a considerable margin of 15 minutes in 6h40!

Now based in Tokyo, the UGLOW Asia athlete had said before the weekend he felt in great shape and has been doing well on the Japanese domestic trail circuit over the past couple of months. The big goal is to finally get the ATM Championship title, and at the same time that win at Borneo TMBT Ultra that has eluded him so far despite several attempts. Daisetsu was also his 9th career victory already in ATM. Jeff Campbell himself has collected no fewer than 8 ATM points race wins over the years, but has never managed to get into the championship Top 3 podium. Also for him, it is a serious objective - the varied TMBT course should suit him better than high, long mountains Mt Apo or Mt Lawu of previous years. It was therefore fantastic that these two stars of the regional scene squared off in Hokkaido.

For Kitamura, winning the race by a margin over Campbell proved to be a confirmation of his own feelings of having returned to peak form this year. He is scheduled to race once more on the ATM circuit at The Punisher in Philippines in August, before the Championship title race in Sabah. For Campbell, who returned from injury to beat reigning ATM Champion John Ray Onifa in Singapore - inflicting the Filipino’s first defeat on our circuit in over six years - , it was perhaps a reminder there may nevertheless still be some work to do before September. As he himself stated after the race: “He crushed me today”.

Third place on the podium, but amazingly very much in a by-role, was Suguru Seo, 47 minutes behind Kitamura. The women’s race was dominated by Naho Kotani in 9h01. She finished a full hour ahead of Shibuya Chie. Third on the podium was Nagisa Yamaji .

The next Japanese points race will be next season, the famous Izu Trail Journey on the second Sunday of December. Registration opens next week!

Jeff Campbell and Hisashi Kitamura enjoyed themselves in Hokkaido

The men’s top five at Mt Daisetsu Trail Journey with Hisashi Kitamura once again in the middle

Tomohiro Mizukoshi made sure of his third ATM Final qualification with another fine 6th place

We are happy to announce that Mount Daisetsu Trail Journey in Hokkaido, Japan, is entering the 2023 Asia Trail Master Championship series as the third Japanese points race on our calendar. This classic event at the former Kita Taisetsu Ski resort in Engaru-cho will already have its 12th edition on Sunday, 23 July and is looking forward to seeing increasingly more international visitors to the island. The main race category is 60km and the one to target for ATM Championship points. Less ambitious participants can also opt for the 40km or 15km, and parents could also check out a kids race.

Given that the traditional ATM June event Echigo Country Trail in Niigata cannot set up a long distance race this year following the floods of last autumn, Mt Daisetsu Trail Journey is a logical replacement and opportunity for Japanese trail runners to score ATM points within their own country, too. It will be the first time ATM features an event on the northern island of Hokkaido, of which Sapporo is the best-known city and also host of the 2021 Olympic Marathon. The race venue of Mt Daisetsu is nearer to Asahikawa City, however, more into the centre of the island. Runners can take a pre-arranged shuttle service from Asahikawa station to the actual race place, the former ski resort of Kita Taisetsu in Engaru-cho (contact ATM or the event organiser to fix your seat on the shuttle bus).

In fact, this year the the longest trail 'Daisetsuzan Trail Journey' located on the north side of the Daisetsuzan Mountains, Hokkaido's roof, will be held on a new course. It is the only trail race in Hokkaido where you can run through the ridgeline of the North Daisetsuzan Mountains. The ridgeline over 1700m in Hokkaido is equivalent to the natural environment of 3000m in Honshu, making it an extremely challenging natural environment. Please note that should the weather deteriorate on race day, it can become a very harsh environment and the course may be changed for the safety of the runners. However, normally, you can enjoy magnificent views, encounters with alpine plants, and animals such as naki-usagi (Japanese hares). The 60km has 3100 metres of elevation gain, indicating that this is a challenge race. The flag-off is set at 4 am and cut-off at the finish is 18:00 p (= 14 hours). There is also a maximum number of participants set at 400.

Registration goes via Sports Entry as usual. People who have difficulty finding their way on the Japanese website can also get in touch with info@asiatrailmaster.com to sign up for this event. Registration fee is 12,000 JPY, roughly USD 90,- for the 60 km category. Please see the buttons below to access the official event website and the registration platform.