The tough 100 miles race at the Deep Japan Ultra event in Niigata last weekend was won by one of the country’s long-standing trail star Takashi Doi. He was an hour and a half quicker than Saguchi Tatsuya and Taro Ueda. India’s ATM Grandmaster Shashwat Rao took 7th place. The women’s 100 miles went to Hiroko Suzuki, who finished over 3 hours ahead of Rieko Seki. Kaori Asahara claimed the final step on the podium.

The 80km race developed into a nice battle between Satoru Geya and Kazufumi Ose - winner of the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong in 2018. Geya took it in 9h10 minutes, nine minutes ahead. Yosuke Abe was third in 10h21. Tomohiro Mizukoshi was a solid 6th in 11h52. The women’s 80km race saw the victory of Miki Saito in 13h24. Yumiko Ooishi was second 20 minutes later. Chikako Inoue completed the podium.

News from the event came through very late, hence the delay in reporting.

Fans of remote ultra mountain trails will keep a close eye out on Deep Japan Ultra 100 in Niigata as of Friday morning. 100 miles or 80 km ATM points races through and around the Mt Asakusa Park with serious elevation gain (approx 10,000 hm for the 100 miles) and even still snowy sections. This is a miler that will challenge everyone, the brainchild of reputed Japanese trail runner Hiroaki Matsunaga, original founder of Echigo Country Trail (which this year took place with only short distance race categories following heavy flooding last autumn).

The start list shows many ‘big’ Japanese names and also global elite runner Gediminas Grinius from Lithuania, who is becoming an annual visitor to Asian trail races. Grinius logically starts as the race favourite on the 80 km course, even though he will have to deal with strong contenders such as Kazufumi Ose. Also Tomohiro Mizukoshi, well-known contender in all kinds of ATM races since many years, has appeared at ease with the terrain in Niigata, courtesy of his third place in Echigo last year.

A lot of runners are going to give the 100 miles a try in this event. Takashi Doi is one of the big names here. Kei Kukushima and Sota Agawa are other well-known competitors, as is Indian mountain ultra specialist and ATM Grandmaster Shashwat Rao - always a dangerman when he is on his day. Last November, for example, Shashwat won the 100k of Malnad Ultra in 12 hours without any proper sleep the night before.

As everybody knows there’s a lot of fast and strong runners in Japan so we are highly likely going to get to know several new names as well. Some known ATM competitors in the start list are Grandmaster John Eruel Oquino and Mary Ann Leovis from the Philippines and Cao Wei from Singapore.

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.

We are delighted to announce a new Japanese entry in our Asia Trail Master Championship series for this year: Deep Japan Ultra is the latest event by Hiroaki Matsunaga, the original race director of ATM classic Echigo Country Trail and a long-time elite trail runner himself. The 2nd edition of the event in Niigata region on 23-25 June is food for ultra distance runners as the focus is on the 100 miles category. From a purely Asia Trail Master perspective, there is an enticing option for travelling runners of combining Echigo 63k with Deep Japan Ultra 100 miles as both races are expected to take place back-to-back. 

The event’s name already says it: runners will venture deep into Japan’s countryside during the race, far away from the famous megacities and all their glitter. Niigata Prefecture lies to the northwest of Tokyo and north of the Japan Alps. It is premium trail running territory. The 100 miles course has a lot of climbs and descents as you run in a big national park, known for heavy snowfall in winter. No snow in summer, however, as the race takes place at the end of June. Elevation gain is serious: estimated at 10,000 hm! The cut-off time has been set at 46 hours to complete the course. Important: the race start is at 11 am on Friday!

The event venue is the Mountain Inn in Asakusa-Sanso, located in Uonuma City, two hours from Niigata aiport. You can also travel from Tokyo by shinkansen (bullet train), approx 2 hours as well. 

Deep Japan Ultra has a long-term strategy to make the event an internationally renowned event to support the local economy and demographics, needed in Niigata due to the population ageing factor. The team around Hiroaki Matsunaga is also actively engaged in school classroom activities teaching local children and teenages about the virtues of making your living doing things that you love, and how to lead a meaningful life in the mountain countryside of Japan. 

All details and registration can be consulted on the comprehensive website of Deep Japan Ultra, also in English.

The traditional end-of-season event in Japan’s Izu peninsula south of Tokyo is once again open for international competitors this weekend. For many who have run Izu Trail Journey it is an absolute highlight on our ATM calendar, but this year the late reopening of the country and the still high cost of travel have led to rather modest number of foreign names on the start list. Global trail star Dylan Bowman from the USA will be running, though, and also Hisashi KItamura.

Kitamura is returning from a long spell of illness, which began at Vietnam Jungle Marathon mid-October, where he still placed third but was never really himself. In fact, after showing his best trail form ever from March to July, his performances had already been going downhill. Even at Borneo TMBT 100, where he finally wanted to defeat local hero Milton Amat he was basically no match for the Sabahan. It would appear the Karate Kit was hit harder by a covid infection than most elite athletes. However, he showed optimism again after he ran MMTF 25km two weeks ago. And this weekend at Izu, he hopes to get the feeling back to run well over 70km without seeking a top result. The ultimate goal has always been the ATM Championship Final on Mount Apo, a course that partially suits him well, but also partially not-so well. Kitamura knows he will need to be strong and sharp to handle the summit attack and descent to have a chance against pure mountain runners such as Milton Amat and Alessandro Sherpa to get the ATM title next week.

One of the dark horses in next week’s female ATM title race will be Moeko Yasugahira from Sapporo. She was a great winner of Seoul 50K last month and has shown great motivation to be part of Team Japan at Mt Apo. Yasugahira will be fine-tuning her form also at Izu Trail this Sunday.

Hisashi Kitamura aims to build up his form again for next week’s ATM Final after a long spell of illness

We know him as one of the top contenders in the Asia Trail Master Championship, but this weekend Hisashi Kitamura can also enter the record books as the first trail runner to obtain the Grandmaster **** four stars label. The Malaysia-based Japanese runner from Team UGLOW Asia will be competing at Cameron Ultra 100 this weekend.

Kitamura began his Grandmaster Quest in early 2018 with the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong and already completed the first level in the same year in Bali at the Plataran X Trail. He continued piling up the results and race finishes of over 70km in the following year - when he stubbornly challenged John Ellis for the ATM Championship title - even to the extent many felt he was outrunning himself. The covid crisis of course also stopped him in his tracks, which in that sense might have been not the worst thing. In this current season VII, Kitamura is in any case very much back in action and he is probably at his highest competitive level yet. Cameron Ultra 100 this coming Saturday will be his 20th Grandmaster distance in the ATM series, and many will bet on him to win the race. But even if he does not, finishing Cultra will earn him the top Grandmaster recognition.

Another three-star Grandmaster***, Masafumi Yamamoto will be aiming for his 19th race finish at Cameron Ultra as well. It is interesting that the first two runners about to score four stars are both from the same country, Japan. A country, of course, that loves distance running.

Good news coming from Japan also after last weekend’s Echigo Country Trail: the iconic Izu Trail Journey is confirmed as a points race for the 2022 Asia Trail Master Championship series. ‘ITJ’ is scheduled for the second Sunday of December as usual, i.e. 11 December. The route takes runners across the Izu Peninsula south of Tokyo, and goes from A to B on an old pilgrimage route of 72 km in length. While many sections are runable, there’s typically over 4000 metres of elevation gain to be conquered here often in cold conditions. A few editions even had snow, making it a special race for South East Asians especially. Unforgettable are the majestic views of Mount Fuji and the Bay along the famous Nishina Pass.

The precise route of the 2022 edition will be made available in due course, and registrations are expected to open next month in the middle of July.

With Hakuba Trails still unconfirmed for this season’s ATM Championship series, Izu Trail Journey could be an important race for Japanese elites aiming to get a spot on their national country team at the ATM Final a week later.

Alessandro Sherpa and Salva Rambla had a good time in Tokyo before their dual to determine the outcome of the 2018 ATM Championship in the ITJ race

Hisashi Kitamura and Pablo Diago Gonzales had a good scrap at Izu in 2018

The Izu Peninsula is the home territory of Tomohiro Mizukoshi

2019 vice-ATM Champion Hisashi Kitamura proved to everyone last Sunday he may be better than ever this season by winning the Echigo Country Trail in Nagaoka, Niigata. It was the Kuala Lumpur-based Japanese runner’s first race victory in his native country. Kitamura had to work hard for it, however, as he was challenged by renowned ultra road running specialist Kiyotaka Imai. After 63 km in hot conditions, he was able to do his trademark karate kick into the finish, with Imai four minutes back in second place. Earlier this season, Hisashi Kitamura also crossed the finish line first at BUTM in Sabah, beating Milton Amat, but he got relegated to third place in that race due to a time penalty for missing a checkpoint and a mandatory gear item. Victory tasted sweet at Echigo, however, and the UGLOW Asia leader made no mistake about his ambition to win the 2022 Asia Trail Master Championship in December, three years after coming so close in the battle against John Ellis.

Another ATM protagonist of the pre-pandemic era made a highly remarkable comeback to trail racing: Tomohiro Mizukoshi came in third and scored the podium! A result that probably he himself had never aspired before the weekend, given over two years of hardship due to severe respiratory illness in 2020 and injuries afterwards as he was trying to get back in running shape. Echigo was his kind of trail race with its longer runable sections, and ideal to try a comeback. Tomohiro grabbed the opportunity with both hands and banked his first 425 ATM Championship points of the year.

The women’s race was won by Asami Komio, ahead of Motoko Ugajin and Mizue Ashida.

The 2022 Echigo Country Trail was held with Japanese and Japan-based runners only, still as a result of the covid 19 measures in the country. The event has been a points race in ATM since 2016 and we highly recommend it to everyone keen on having a Japanese trail experience next year.

It was Hisashi Kitamura’s first race victory in his native Japan

The Echigo Country Trail around Nagaoka in Niigata, northwest of Tokyo, has been the traditional first Japanese points race in the Asia Trail Master Championship series since Season II in 2016. Several top runners have gone there for a weekend of what can best be described as sheer trail running pleasure. The race course has now been extended from 52 km to 63 km , but it remains one of the more manageable races on our ATM calendar despite the often very steep “muscle biters” inside the forests. Pre-summer heat, as is again forecast for this weekend, makes the race often harder than many expect it to be. Niigata is a region north of the well-known Japanese Alps.

The event is traditionally preceeded by a great welcoming party in the host town’s main hall, and many runners choose to stay also in a local homestay. After 2 years of cancellations due to covid, it is fantastic that the event is starting again.

Japan is still basically closed for foreign entries, so the race will see mainly Japanese and expat runners. As always in Japan - a country where people quite simply love running - we may see a surprising podium, but two ATM protagonists are determined to score a great result on Sunday: Hisashi Kitamura and the returning Tomohiro Mizukoshi. UGLOW Ace Kitamura will be entering his second ATM points race of the 2022 season after his 3rd place in BUTM (following time penalties). The Karate Kit is clearly in top shape as a recent string of excellent performances in high-level Japanese races have shown. Echigo might as well be his first ever Japanese race victory this Sunday! The ATM Championship is very much his 2022 goal, and Tomohiro Mizukoshi could become a very welcome ally in that masterplan. More experienced than Kitamura and a former race winner himself - think Plataran X Trail Bali in 2018 - Mizukoshi is coming back from serious illness and injury that plagued him throughout the covid crisis. His recent runs on training suggest that he is gradually getting back to his high level of 2018, but Echigo might still come a few months too early to compete with the younger armada.

Echigo will be an important race for Japanese elites in the context of qualifying for the ATM Championship Final in December. Given the ongoing restrictions on entering the country, races such as Hakuba Trails in September are not yet confirmed for ATM Championship points this season.

For Tomohiro Mizukoshi Echigo is a return to the ATM front after two very tough years

In-form Hisashi Kitamura is looking for a top result in Echigo this year

Tokyo-based Carole Fuchs was a protagonist in Niigata before the covid crisis

We are very happy to share the news that Echigo Country Trail is also returning from a two-year- covid hiatus and has been scheduled for Sunday, 19 June. Taking place in Niigata, Japan, Echigo is a classic on the Asia Trail Master Championship calendar, having been part of our series since the beginning. It is a cliche’, but this event is more than just a trail run if you don’t live in Japan. It is a great fun weekend experience and runners are welcomed with incredible enthusiasm by the local communities along the race course.

The 2022 edition does have a few changes compared to three years ago. First of all, the race course has been extended from 52 km to 63 km. A notable difference, as we are talking more than one hour more exercise for the majority of participants. Elevation gain is 2350 hm, which shows this is not a flat speed race at all. The terrain varies between lush hilly forest - including some steep sections - and open (rice) fields.

Gateway to the event is the town of Nagaoka, which is connected to Tokyo by the Shinkansen fast train. Estimate time to reach Nagaoka is 2, 5 hours. However, the Niigata Prefecture also has an airport with domestic connections, and even a few international flights.

The 63 km race offers ATM Championship points as usual.

The 2019 edition saw victories of Kazufume Ose in the men’s and Naoko Iida in the women’s.

Yuya Kawasaki was the big winner of a star-packed Izu Trail Journey 70 km race in 5:58:09, ahead of last year’s winner Hirokazu Nishimura in 6:06:22! Previously, Kawasaki already scored two second places in ATM points races: Izu 2017 and Hakuba 2018. This is his first victory on the ATM Championship circuit and as Izu is the Japan SuperTrail he collects 550 points that he will take into 2021.

Third place today went to Saturo Suga, followed by Tatsuya Yabe and Tomonori Onitsuka. Even more than usual, this season’s Izu Trail Journey was like a Japanese national championship race. Team Uglow's Yuta Matsuyama was 16th, ahead of Kazufumi Ose, another well-known runner in our series as past winner of the 9 Dragons in Hong Kong. Ryo Murata, who won Cameron Ultra 100 in 2019, finished 21st yesterday. Hiroaki Matsunaga, third at CMU a few years ago and 9th in Izu 2017, was 26th. Tomohiro Mizukoshi decided not to start to allow a knee injury to heal properly and be 100 % fit again for the 2021 season.

The women’s race also saw stellar performances. Honoka Akiyama turned out victorious in a very fast time of 6:59:41. She was 20th overall and ahead of e.g. Ryo Murata! Second-placed Yuri Yoshizumi was not even that far behind in 7:06:32 and Chihiro Aibara third in 7:22:52. Asuka Nakajima ran a great race herself to come home in sixth place in what was really her elite trail debut race in her native country Japan. Nakajima set a finishing time of 7:57:12. Tellingly, she was ahead of Yumiko Oishi - the woman who was second behind Veronika Vadovicova last year.

Comparing times year-on-year in trail running is in many ways a meaningless exercise, and this year’s Izu course was not even exactly the same as last year’s. Most elites who ran also last season, needed roughly between 10 and 30 minutes longer this year. In that perspective, the finishing times of top females Akiyama (6:59) and Yoshizumi (7:06) are outright stunning when you know Vadovicova took the 2019 win in 7:05…

Yuya Kawasaki already scored 2nd twice in ATM races, now he got a big win (photo archive Hakuba 2018)

Asuka Nakajima ran to an excellent 6th place in her domestic trail debut (photo archive SMFT 2019)

This weekend is the traditional Izu Trail Journey weekend, and the Japan SuperTrail in the Asia Trail Master Championship series is taking place in REAL and not just virtually! Obviously, the participant list exclusively features runners who live in Japan, but other than the many local elites there will be a number of athletes whom we have gotten to know well over the years in our ATM series. Perhaps more importantly, the simple fact that ITJ is permitted to be run is very hopeful for a return to a more normal trail season in Asia in 2021 - as well as a sign that the Olympic Games in Tokyo may happen next summer as well. The Izu peninsula south of Tokyo will host a number of sports disciplines of the Games, such as track cycling in its velodrome.

Last year the course of ITJ had to be shortened and modified due to the destruction of some trails caused by a massive typhoon a number of weeks prior to the event, but now runners will be more or less back on the original course for 70 km. Veronika Vadovicova was the first international winner of the women’s race , and despite a very busy race schedule Hisashi Kitamura made it into the top 10 of the men’s race. Purely competitively speaking, Izu Trail Journey arguably is the hardest race on the ATM calendar as most of Japan’s elite runners take part every year. For the local stars, ITJ is also a “Japanese Championship” , which may also determine who gets into the national team for international championship events.

Apart from the local stars, ATM Championship contenders such as Tomohiro Mizukoshi will be competing in ITJ on Sunday as he has been in the past seasons. It will be a bit of a comeback for him, too, as Tomohiro suffered from (non-covid) illness for quite a while in the middle of the year. Asuka Nakajima, third in the female ATM championship last year after winning several races in Indonesia and coming second in Borneo TMBT Ultra 100 in Malaysia. She will be running ITJ for the first time, after relocating from Jakarta back to Tokyo this year. It will be interesting to see where she ends up among the local elite. And we have another ATM race winner from 2019 on the start list in Team Uglow's Yuta Matsuyama. He was quickest in Ultra Trail Chiang Mai in Thailand a year ago, beating several top runners on the day. Matsuyama, by the way, is also the new race director of Echigo Country Trail, the traditional ATM points race in Niigata in June.

Follow tomorrow’s Izu Trail Journey live on YouTube! Starting at 5 am (Tokyo time) on Sunday, you can follow what happens on the iconic run throughout the day. Due to travel restrictions, our ATM media team cannot be present this season, but via our social media channels we will be keeping you all up-to-date as well about the big race. It’s the Japan SuperTrail, and the winner collects 550 ATM Championship points.

Veronika Vadovicova won ITJ 2019 as first non-Japanese woman to achieve that

Hisashi Kitamura saw John Ellis become ATM Champion in Thailand the day earlier, but converted that disappointment into energy to score a great 10th place in the highly competitive men’s race

Asuka Nakajima returned to Tokyo earlier this year and will be competing in her first ITJ race

Tomohiro Mizukoshi is returning to action after a difficult year.

Yuta Matsuyama won the very wet Ultra Trail Chiang Mai last year