Minamiaso Caldera Trail Winter edition a new ATM Championship Qualifier

The upcoming winter edition of Minamiaso Caldera Trail on 19 December has been entered into the ATM Championship calendar of Season 12. The race category to focus on is the 50km. For travellers to Japan, Minamiaso could be combined with Izu Trail Journey, which takes place on the Sunday before, albeit in a different part of the country.

Last summer, Minamiaso had a very wet edition that had to be cut short for safety reasons. It was therefore suggested that the winter edition may be a better option for inclusion in the ATM Championship as the weather - touch wood - is normally much more stable in December. Of course, it could also mean cold temperatures and even some snow, but runners tend to be fine with that. The event will already celebrate its 11th edition this year and takes part in a popular trail running region in Japan. It takes place on Kyushu, one of the larger southern islands of Japan with Fukuoka as best-known major city. Access to Minamiaso is via Kumamoto, another city with its own international airport and roughly 1 hour away from Fukuoka by high-speed train.

The 50km course is quite hilly with 2500 hm of elevation gain. The start is scheduled for 6 am and the cut-off time at 16:00 in the afternoon.

The Minamiaso Caldera Trail was first held in January 2021 to light a beacon of hope for the stagnant sport and local economy of Minami Aso Village. The 11th edition of the event will be held in four categories: 50 km, 30 km, 18 km and 2km, so less ambitious runners can also go for one of the shorter distances.

Registration via the official website linked below and any questions can also be addressed via the email below. Please note that there is also a - payable - shuttle bus service to the race venue.

Also Hoi Yee Lam was at the wet summer edition of Minamiaso

Even snow is possible during the winter edition in December

Golden Grandmaster Tomohiro Mizukoshi

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