japan running news

Running from the foot of Mount Fuji to its peak and back on the Gotemba route, the 50th anniversary Mt. Fuji Ekiden took place Aug. 3 in Gotemba, Shizuoka. A total of 100 teams in the combined SDF base and independent divisions competed to show what they could do in what is called the toughest race in Japan. Starting and finishing at Gotemba Field, the 48.19 km race is divided into 11 legs, with each team fielding 6 runners. Each runner handles one uphill and one downhill leg, with the 6th runner doing a non-stop run up the final section to the peak and back. Following a flyover by jets from the SDF Iruma Base in honor of the race's 50th running, mayor Masami Katsumata and local influencer Nano Nae fired the starting gun to get the race underway. The turnaround point at the peak of Mount Fuji is 3199 m above Gotemba field. A temperature difference of 20˚ adds to the challenge for athletes trying to make the next exchange zone. Most teams put their best runner on the uphill 5th a...

Two classic midsummer ekidens happened during the Paris Olympics, the 77th Towada Hachimantai Ekiden in Akita and the 49th Mount Fuji Ekiden in Shizuoka. We didn't have time to cover them then, but better late than never. The Mount Fuji Ekiden was held Aug. 4 in Gotemba, Shizuoka starting at Gotemba Field, climbing 3258 m to the peak of Mt. Fuji, then making the return trip for a total distance of 48.19 km in 11 stages. Each runner on the 6-member teams handled one uphill leg and one downhill leg except the sixth runner, whose stage included the final climb to the peak and then the start of the descent after getting the tasuki stamped by a monk waiting at the top. For the 8th year in a row the Takigahara SDF Base team won the overall title, running 3:51:35 to win just 24 seconds off last year's mark. Individual stage winners from Takigahara included 2-time Hasetsune Cup winner Yuya Kawasaki on the uphill 4th leg, vertical king Toru Miyahara on the 5th leg, and Hiroya Morig...