It wasn’t so long ago that trail running was considered to be something only nature geeks did in their spare time. I mean, who in their right mind would want to run up a mountain? Cue the sound of crickets chirping …

Things have changed in recent years, however, and trail runners like 64-year-old Sayako Suzuki have found the challenge to be almost liberating.

“The trees, the wind, the earth and the feeling of freedom of running through the mountains is such a primal experience,” Suzuki says. “I’m completely hooked.”

Ancient beginnings

In the past decade or so, the number of trail runners in Japan has increased tenfold.

Interest in running as a recreational activity increased immediately after the launch of the Tokyo Marathon in 2007.

The annual race has since attracted a whole new generation of runners and what used to be a sprinkle of people jogging around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo has become a near constant flow ambling in lines around the 5-kilometer course.

With more and more people taking to the streets in their spare time, interest in trail running has also picked up, especially during the hot summer months when temperatures frequently top 30 degrees Celsius and running on pavements can be punishing.

It wasn’t so long ago that the sight of a trail runner in the mountains would prompt surprised, if not confused, stares from other hikers on the path. These days, however, coming across a trail runner on a mountain path near major cities has become so common place that no one even blinks an eye.

Women in their 30s to 50s are showing an increasing interest in trail running. | PAULINE KITAMURA

And historically speaking, exploring mountains isn’t in and of itself a foreign concept to Japan.

About 70 percent of Japan is mountainous and thousands of trails can be found crisscrossing elevated areas nationwide.

Since ancient times, these trails (tozandō) were used as a means of travel between locations before roads or cars existed. Trails such as the Kumano Kodo, a series of pilgrimage routes that cover the Kii Peninsula, are a good example of this.

Mountains were also a place where people believed the gods lived, and many of the trails were constructed to assist pilgrims in their ascent of the peak where invariably there was a shrine dedicated to the gods. Many of these shrines still exist to this day.

Mountain climbing as a recreational activity first developed in Europe during the 18th century and was introduced to Japan in the late 19th century.

Interest in recreational hiking (tozan) grew after World War II, particularly in the 1950s and ’60s, as more and more people flocked to a mountain — not for the purpose of religion or trade but, as legendary climber George Mallory once famously put it, simply because it’s there.

Running through the mountains as a recreational sport was introduced to Japan almost 30 years ago, but was referred to by names such as “mountain run” (sangaku ran) and “maranic” (maranikku, which is a portmanteau of the words “marathon” and “picnic”) and was a very low-key, grass-roots movement.

The phrase “trail running” only really took hold in Japan 15 years or so ago when two trail running pioneers, Hiroki Ishikawa and Tsuyoshi Kaburaki, turned professional and worked closely with the media to promote the sport. Trail running was introduced in outdoor sports and running magazines and gradually started to be picked up by national media organizations.

Television media also started to broadcast footage of some of the more extreme races, including the 170-kilometer Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Europe, the 167-kilometer Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji and the mind-boggling 415-kilometer Trans Japan Alps Race.

A man takes part in the 2018 Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji race in 2018. | COURTESY OF ULTRA-TRAIL MT. FUJI

A primer on races

One of the oldest domestic trail races in the country is the Japan Mountain Endurance Race, or Hasegawa Tsuneo Cup. The race was first held in 1992 with only a handful of runners participating.

On Oct. 13 and 14, the 27th edition of the race will take place and feature more than 2,500 participants. The 71.5-kilometer race through the Okutama mountain range in Tokyo Prefecture has a whopping cumulative elevation gain that exceeds 4,500 meters. Participants are required to reach the finish line within the 24-hour time limit and, as the race starts at 1 p.m., that includes a long and challenging night section.

The race was named in honor of Tsuneo Hasegawa, a respected mountaineer who was killed at the age of 43 in an avalanche on Oct. 10, 1991, while attempting to climb Ultar II in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range. Hasegawa used to train for similar mountaineering expeditions in the mountains of Okutama.

The 40-kilometer Kitatanzawa 12-hour Mountain Endurance Race is another classic trail race that existed before trail running became recognized in Japan. It will be holding its 21st edition on July 7.

Other pioneering trail races include the Ome Takamizusan Trail Run, which was held on April 7 this year, as well as the Mount Mitake Trail Run, which will be held on Dec. 8.

At first, mountain endurance running was considered to be something of an extreme sport.

As interest in trail running grew, however, shorter races have become more prevalent. Today, hundreds of trail races of varying distances are held across the country. The number is increasing by the year, especially in rural prefectures.

The Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji race is 100 miles (more than 160 kilometers) long. | COURTESY OF ULTRA-TRAIL MT. FUJI

One of the first areas to recognize the potential that trail running had in promoting regional development and local tourism was the Madarao region in Nagano Prefecture, which held the 50-kilometer Madarao Forest Trails back in 2007.

“The Madarao region has beautiful trails that are absolutely perfect for trail running,” says Yusuke Sato of the Madarao Resort Tourist Association. “We really wanted to encourage more people to come here and discover the beauty that our region has to offer.”

The race, which is held annually in the second week of October, has sold out within minutes of the application window opening each year since its launch.

At the other end of the spectrum, several longer distance races called “ultras” or “100-milers” have been created. The Shinetsu Five Mountains Trail (110 kilometers and 100 miles) will take place from Sept. 14 to 16 this year, while Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji, which after canceling its first edition due to the catastrophic tsunami and earthquake disaster in northern Japan in 2011, held its seventh edition in April this year.

Indeed, a number of domestic races are attracting top athletes from all over the planet. Xavier Thevenard, who is considered to be one of the top trail runners on the planet at the moment, won this year’s Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji race.

French athlete Xavier Thevenard won the 2019 Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji race. | COURTESY OF ULTRA-TRAIL MT. FUJI

Thevenard says the 167-kilometer course has a number of technical sections and can be very tough.

The time limit for Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji is just 46 hours, and participants are required to climb more than 8,000 meters in total during the race. This means that a majority of the runners end up having to run for almost two days straight in some pretty difficult conditions.

Thevenard himself crossed the finish line in an incredible 19 hours and 36 minutes.

“When I first came to Japan to run in the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji back in 2016, the race was unfortunately shortened to 48 kilometers (because of severe weather conditions),” Thevenard says. “This year, I wanted to come back and do the full 100 miles — and, of course, get a chance to see Mount Fuji up close again.”

Trail running demographics

Trail running started in Japan as a grass-roots sport with local companies organizing tours, events and small races for local runners. Everybody seemed to know everybody and it was a small, close-knit community.

In those days, trail running shoes and backpacks were hard to come by, as outdoor shops were reluctant to invest in such a minor activity.

As the number of trail runners grew, however, many outdoor businesses recognized the potential in the activity, especially as sales started to decline in terms of hiking gear. These days, most leading brands produce trail running gear and many outdoor stores offer a wide selection of goods.

Having said that, trail runners tend to prefer shopping at smaller specialty stores that offer more individual products that suit personalized needs.

They also tend to be attracted to the sense of community that some of the smaller outlets provide.

A trail runner in Japan is typically male, and in his 30s to 50s, although the average age is actually increasing. Many work full time in a large city and transform into weekend trail warriors on their days off.

“Trail running is a way for me to get away from it all,” says Shu Sato, a 44-year-old police officer. “When I’m in the mountains, I can forget about work and life, and can de-stress.”

Trail running started in Japan as a grass-roots sport with small local companies organizing tours, events and small races for local runners. | PAULINE KITAMURA

Stats aside, many women of the same age are also showing an interest in the sport. These women usually hold down full-time jobs and are often unmarried and have no children, thereby giving them more time and income to pursue new interests.

“I love to be surrounded by nature, I love trying new things, and I love having the chance to meet new people and make new friends,” says Masako Ishizu, who is in her 40s and works full time at a shipping company in Tokyo. “Trail running has opened up a whole new world for me.”

Surprisingly, an increasing number of women in their late 50s and early 60s are starting to give trail running a try after they’ve finished with their parental duties.

“I’ve spent all my time taking care of my family for more than 20 years and have never had any time to myself,” says Chisato Eimoto, a mother in her 50s. “My children are all grown up now though and have moved out of the house. I have the freedom to do whatever I want now and I’m ready to take make the most of it.”

However, trail running doesn’t yet seem to be as popular among younger folks in their teens and early 20s.

Some of this could be put down to cost, as trail running gear can be expensive. The cost of getting to the remote trailheads also adds up.

Given the trail runner demography, two trends have emerged in recent years.

In terms of racing, there has been a marked increased interest in longer distances, particularly in races that are longer than 100 kilometers where stamina, strategy, experience and perseverance is needed to reach the finish line.

“As I get older, I find that I’m slower and, of course, much less competitive,” says Kazutoshi Ota, 47. “But as I get older, I’ve also found that I’ve become much stronger mentally.”

Others, however, are tending to shun races altogether, running for leisure on their days off and participating in related activities such as hiking and climbing at their own pace.

Many trail runners participate in related activities such as hiking. | PAULINE KITAMURA

An encouraging future

As interest in trail running grows in Japan, a number of issues have emerged, including trail usage and environmental concerns, especially during races, some of which have more than 2,000 individuals running across the trails on the same day.

Some argue that the races cause permanent damage to the trails themselves, while others point to damage to vegetation outside of marked trails, as participants in races don’t always stick to the paths.

Concerns have also been raised about the impact on wildlife, arguing that birds that are sensitive to noise and light abandon their nests if races are held during nesting season. Hikers have also expressed a dislike for their running cousins, with some organizations taking active steps to ban runners from certain trails.

To tackle these issues, the Japan Trail Runners Association was established in 2016 to represent trail runners nationwide and provide a united platform where such issues could be discussed and addressed.

“Our mission is to communicate to society the social benefits and the attractiveness of the wonderful sport of trail running,” the association says in a mission statement on its website. “The purpose of this association is to have more people in Japan correctly understand what trail running is about and establish it as a recognized and accepted sport in Japan.”

For all the problems associated with trail running, however, there are plenty more reasons why it shouldn’t be ridiculed as a “crazy sport for crazy people.”

“Trail running is not just about running, says Kaori Niwa, a 44-year-old trail runner from Kyoto. “It’s a journey through nature where you can experience the beautiful surroundings using all five senses. … Trail running is also a time for introspection that allows me to think clearly. It gives me a sense of stability and provides balance in my life.”

Pauline Kitamura organizes women’s trail running tours at Adventure Divas (www.adventure-divas.com/english), and is also a contributor to Outdoor Japan (www.outdoorjapan.com).

A man runs down a slope at dusk during the 2018 Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji race in 2018. | COURTESY OF ULTRA-TRAIL MT. FUJI

Getting Started

Most hiking trails can be reached within an hour or two from virtually any city in Japan. People typically run in lower elevation mountains close to urban areas, with popular locations being the Takao, Okutama, Hakone, Tanzawa and Okumusashi mountain ranges in the Kanto region and the Rokko mountains and Kyoto Isshu Trail in the Kansai region. If you’re unsure of where to go, trail running tours and clinics are excellent sources of information that offer beginners plenty of opportunities to meet fellow runners.

Trail running tours and clinics

Adventure Divas: www.adventure-divas.com

Avid Adventures Japan: www.avid-adventures.com

Seven Hills Adventures: www.sevenhills.jp

Popular trail running races

Hasetsune Cup: www.hasetsune.com

Kirishima Ebino Kogen Extreme Trail: universal-field.com/event/kirishima-ebino-extr/en

Shinetsu Five Mountains Trail: www.sfmt100.com

Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji: www.ultratrailmtfuji.com