Very wet and windy weather forced the event organisers of Minamiaso Caldera Trail to make the difficult decision of shortening the 50km race to two loops of the 18km short distance course for 36km in total. Most of the single trails had turned into a total mudfest and with safety in mind, it proved to be the only solution in order to at least have a trail race. Minamiaso is a new entry on the ATM Championship calendar, taking place in Kyushu close to Kumamoto City and 100km from Fukuoka.

Several strong runners at the start line, as usual in Japan, and in the end it was ATM regular Hisashi Kitamura who scored his 12th ATM race victory during his trail journey. It was close, however, as the younger Hideaki Hori managed to stay within one minute. Kitamura finished in a time of 3h51. Both runners were 20 minutes ahead of third placed Ryosuke Ooya and Kentaro Takano. Important ATM points for Kitamura, who now again looks certain to be part of Team Japan in the next ATM Championship Final in Vietnam in October. Also Kentaro Takano is very much in the mix for a spot in Team Japan, which would be his first qualification. As is Tomohiro Mizukoshi, of course. He scored an important 8th place as well, despite the tough conditions that do not suit his trail capabilities very much.

The women’s race saw three runners finish within 11 minutes of each other. Asami Furuse won in 4h37, seventh overall. Arika Ito and Kirari Oi were second and third. Chisato Kario, part of the ATM Championship winning team at 9 Dragons and multiple race winner in ATM, struggled a bit to finish in 7th place. Another Top 10 finisher of the latest ATM Final, Hong Kong’s Kimmy Leung took 12th. In fact, another Hong Konger, Wong Ki Chun finished ahead in fifth place.

The next ATM Championship Qualifier in Japan is Shiga Kogen 100 near Nagano at the end of August.

Hong Kong’s Wong Ki Chun finished fifth in the female race

ATM Season 10 Top 10 Finisher Kimmy Leung finished 12th

No first victory for double vice-ATM Champion Hisashi Kitamura at Deep Japan Ultra in Niigata last weekend. Despite beating the race course record himself, Kitamura was still no match for the surprisingly fast Terunobu Kurokawa. The 33-year-old completed the tough 80km course in 8h18, still 45 minutes(!) ahead of the ‘Karate Kit’. Kurokawa, a name to remember! In third place, on an island by himself, was Ryoji Sakai in 9h24. Fourth placed Tsukasa Komai reached the finish line in 10h47, so you can tell how outstanding in particular the first two runners were.

The women’s 80km race was tighter and saw Miki Kobayashi take top honours in 12h43, 16 minutes ahead of Japan-based Norwegian Hanah Fjelddahl, a youngster when it comes to competitive trail running at age 28. Third place on the traditional podium was for Miho Wada.

To note was also the race finish of Mario Yap. The Filipino Golden Grandmaster reached another big milestone in his trail running journey by being first ever to Become Legend. Mario Yap completed more than 500 kilometres in at least five countries after becoming 4-star Golden Grandmaster (separate news to follow). Other Grandmasters such as Kenneth Mun Keat Yow (4 stars), Shawn Yong (4 stars), Mohd Nizam Arabi (3 stars), Lim Jyh Hann (3 stars) and Flowrence P. Robert also finished the race successfully.

Deep Japan Ultra also attracts a large number of trail runners for its challenging 100 miles race every year. Also in this category, one man proved too strong for the rest of the victory contenders. Taro Ueda returned to the finish in 29 hours and was 46 minutes ahead of Haruhiko Yoshida. Tatsuya Saguchi and Hideaki Yoshida were three and four. Jason Kwok for Hong Kong was first non-Japanese in sixth place. Also Balinese Yanizar Surydratama finished the tough course in 15th place.

Female winner was Mika Taniguchi in 34h25. That was a solid three hours faster than Miho Uraya in second. Yu Matsushima was third, still beating the 40h mark.

The next Japanese ATM Championship Qualifer is coming up this weekend in Kumamoto, southern Japan. The Minamiaso Caldera Trail, which caters for the 50km specialists.

The 80km podium placers

It’s been tradition for a decade already: in June we hit the trails in the Niigata countryside of Japan! Local resident and trail running star Hiroaki Matsunaga enjoys seeing people from all over Japan and the rest of Asia coming to his mountain neighbourhood northwest of Tokyo and north of the Japan Alps. This year’s Deep Japan Ultra once again sees a large start list, both in quantity and quality, for the 100 Miles and 80km races - both qualifiers for the ATM Championship points ranking and for each individual runner’s Grandmaster Quest. The race courses are considered among the toughest challenges in Japan. 

That is also due to the variable weather conditions. This weekend it promises to be rather warm, but deep in the mountanous area it will cool down considerably at night. Hisashi Kitamura will be trying to add a win in DJU 80km on his record. Last year, he was leading the race until he got off course and had to settle for third place. The Karate Kit has been in great shape again earlier this year in Japan and certainly ranks amongst the top contenders this weekend. His main rivals ought to be Terunobu Kurokawa and Ryoji Sakai. 

In the female 80km we have Chizuru Ofuchi and Japan-based Hannah Fjelddahl, but also some solid contenders from Thailand. 

The 100 miles of Deep Japan Ultra has proven to be quite unpredictable over the years. A relatively long list of local Japanese contenders, including Kazuyuki Takahashi, Ryota Nakatani and Taro Ueda will be going for victory, but there’s a very decent non-Japanese contigent this year of very experienced ultra runners who can throw themselves in the mix for at least podium. Thailand’ Santi Phongsraphang, for example, has been in great shape this year in a few ATM races already. Also his compatriot Somchai Chaosakorn has proven credentials on the long ultra in Southeast Asia. Yeung Ka Lun and Jason Kwok are just two runners of a Hong Kong group and Bali’s Yanizar Suryadratama also knows the ropes of 100 miles racing. 

The women’s 100 miles sees one member of the ATM Team Champions - Japan - in the race, i.e. Yasuyo Hotta. She will face Sachiko Tokoro and Mika Taniguchi and the Filipino Avegail Depanay. 

Hisashi Kitamura

Yasuyo Hotta

Avegail Depanay

Nizar Surydratama

This year’s Shiga Kogen 100 near Nagano in Japan has been moved back on the event calendar and will now take place on the last weekend of August. The highly scenic event again features a 100km race as qualifier for the ATM Championship ranking and the Grandmaster Quest. Registration is opening this Sunday evening at 9 pm local time.

Shiga Kogen is one of Japan’s main national parks and also a UNESCO Eco-Park. As the official website reads, Shiga Kogen occupies the center of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. It is a famous ski resort that hosted the Nagano Olympics (1998) in the winter. During the green season, Shiga Kogen is a treasure trove of nature, with beautiful alpine plants and beautiful lakes and wetlands that can be enjoyed in the vast plateau area. The Shiga Kogen, which has been certified as a UNESCO Eco Park, is an attractive area where nature and human society coexist.

This is a mountainous area so. even in summer temperatures remain cool and are ideal for endurance sports. The start and finish venue is Yamanouchi Town, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture, and lies at about 1600m above sea level, and the highest point of the course is at 2200m. Less ambitious runners can also opt for a 40km category or a 18km category, but these offer no points for ATM.

The 100km has been redesigned for this year’s edition and is said to have become more runable than before. Elevation gain is estimated at 4400 hm. 100km participants are expected to collect their race pack on Friday afternoon, 5 July. The race flag-off is scheduled for 4:30 a.m. on Saturday early morning. The cut-off time is 26 hours, meaning Sunday morning 6:30 am. The podium ceremony will take place after that.

Last year, the male and female races were won by Hisashi Kitamura and Sachi Nakano, respectively.

Registration is open via the official website, where you can also find details on accommodation. International runners are most likely best of flying to Tokyo and take a train or bus to Nagano from there first. Information on event accommodation options can be obtained via shiga100@ktf.or.jp .

Hisashi Kitamura won the 100km last year, here next to event organiser Koji

We are happy to announce that the summer edition of Minamiaso Caldera Trail joins the ATM Championship calendar on the weekend of 4/5 July. The target race category is the 50km in and around Minamiaso and one of the world’s largest volcanic calderas. The event is organised by Local Gain near Kumamoto City on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu.

The course is known to be very scenic and quite runable, as most Japanese trail races are, but nevertheless has about 2500 metres of elevation gain to conquer. The race typically starts around sunrise and is known for its great atmosphere - also at the finish. The precise schedule for this summer’s edition will be revealed soon. Race day is scheduled for Saturday, but the organisers do mention that in the unlikely event of severe rainfall the race can be moved last-minute to Sunday. International runners better thus plan to remain in Kumamoto the entire weekend. Plenty to sightsee and taste anyway.

Minamiaso Caldera Trail takes place twice a year: once in winter and once in summer. Runners can therefore enjoy two different experiences each year. Last December’s winter edition held the ATM Candidate Race label. Tomohiro Machida proved to be quickest on the day in 5h53, winning the men’s race by some three-and-a-half minutes over Yohei Kawahara. Fastest female runner was Kyona Nonaka in 7h33, five minutes ahead of Seika Higashi.

Minamiaso is a village in Kumamoto Prefecture, which has an international airport with flights to a.o. Hong Kong, Seoul, Busan, Shanghai and Taiwan. Of course, there are also plenty of domestic connections to Tokyo, Osaka etc. Note that Fukuoka, Japan’s fifth biggest city on the northside of Kyushu island, is just a 2-hour drive away from Kumamoto and Minamiaso as well. International runners could target Fukuoka airport, too, and take a shinkansen to Kumamoto (50 minutes).

The website of the event is fully translated in English and linked below. Registration will open soon.

Minamiaso Caldera Trail was the first ATM Candidate taking place on Kyushu, the southwesternmost island of Japan. Organised by the Local Gain group out of Kumamoto, Minamiaso has a winter and a summer edition, so participants can visit and enjoy the magnificent scenery along the trails in two completely different set-ups. The Winter Minamiaso took place in dry and good running conditions, albeit without snow this time. As such, it was a relatively fast race at the front, despite the significant elevation gain of 2500 hm for the 50km distance.

Tomohiro Machida proved to be quickest on the day in 5h53, winning the men’s race by some three-and-a-half minutes over Yohei Kawahara. The third spot on the podium was taken by Yuichiro Hayashi. Fastest female runner was Kyona Nonaka in 7h33, five minutes ahead of Seika Higashi. Sayo Matsuda claimed third place.

Minamiaso is one of the world’s largest volcanic calderas. You reach the area via Kumamoto, one of Kyushu’s main cities - the biggest is nearby Fukuoka. Kumamoto has an airport with even some international connections such as Hong Kong, and otherwise Fukuoka has more. Both cities are worth a visit, too.

The Summer Minamiaso is scheduled for early July 2026 and is expected to be officially announced in the course of January.

In the most epic edition of Izu Trail Journey ever, Hirokazu Nishimura and Honoka Akiyama both scored their third victory at the event in impressive style. Nishimura made his move at the very end after a smart and controlled race, while Akiyama was the outstanding female athlete this year finishing even in eleventh overall.

Heavy rain characterised the first five hours of the 70km race across the Izu peninsula south of Tokyo. While it wasn’t that cold, the wind along the mountain passes ensured that the rain-soaked runners had to protect themselves and layer-up to prevent hypothermia. Still, many participants would suffer that fate. Including none other than John Ray Onifa, the 2023 ATM Champion who was keen to be the first male foreigner to win ITJ. Alas, his bid ended at CP 3 and km 52, when he had already been dropped for good by the top five in the race. Also the young Natsuke Tomii, third female last year, would not make it to the finish along with over 650 others who had taken the start. Many others actually did not even turn up at the start due to the bad weather. Unseen at this event, just showing how tough it was out there and how rain can suddenly turn a fairly runable trail race into an absolute slugfest.

Yuya Kawasaki took the bull by the horns and went solo at the front, crossing the Nishina Pass first . Although the rain finally stopped right after the front runners crossed the Pass, there were no stunning Mount Fuji views this time. Short distance specialist Shoma Otagiri was close in second and also Hajime Kasagi and Hirokazi Nishimura were within just a few minutes. Tatsuya Itagaki was in fifth but losing touch with the lead quartet, as John Ray Onifa behind him also kept losing terrain. Hisashi Kitamura was running 14th at this point. One checkpoint later at km 52, three runners were practically back together. The one missing was Kawasaki, who seemed to be paying a bit of a price for his earlier attack. While Kasagi and Otagiri gave it their best shot on the ondulating final 15km, the experience of Nishimura proved decisive. When the winner of 2019 and 2023 and second-placer last year, made his move at the end of the race, the others no longer had a response. Nishimura crossed the new finish line in 6h13. Otagiri took second just under two minutes later, Kasagi third. Kawasaki and Itagaki held on to rank four and five, but Kento Tamura barely made it to sixth as Hisashi Kitamura ran a superb second part of the race to take seventh place still. Yuta Matsuyama suffered from the cold and came in in 36th place. He has placed Top 20 before in ITJ.

Some way behind Honoka Akiyama, who took her victory in 7h14, it was Arika Ito and newcomer Saegusa Moeka who scored second and third. The latter only started trail running three months ago! To note, both also still finished in the overall Top 50, which means something at Izu.

The next Japanese qualifier for Season 11’s ATM Championship ranking is Deep Japan Ultra in Niigata at the end of June.

This Sunday’s Izu Trail Journey promises to be one of the best of recent years with last year’s stars Koken Ogasawara and Hirokazu Nishimura challenged by a large number of domestic contenders - including Hisashi Kitamura - plus John Ray Onifa, who will aim to become the first non-Japanese man to win the classic 70km race across the Izu Peninsula. The 2023 ATM Champion from the Philippines is no stranger to Japan, and with the weather forecast showing uncharacteristic rain for race day, his chances of success may increase even more.

Veronika Vadovicova (2019) and Eszter Csillag (2023) already managed to win the women’s Izu race, but so far no “foreign man” has come really close to beating the local elites. John Ray Onifa, in excellent shape the past months, could just be the right man to accomplish this feat. It’s a course and a distance that suits him very well, and he finished ahead of last year’s race winner Koken Ogasawara at the latest world championships in Spain. While not every race is the same, it’s fair to assume that Ogasawara was not in Spain to enjoy a nice holiday either. Although Onifa has been around winning races in Hong Kong and Asia for several years now, a win this Sunday “in the lion’s den” could elevate his international standing still quite considerably. Last year, Ogasawara and Nishimura - also a former winner of this race - finished about a minute apart in 6h00. With rain expected, finishing times may be slower by default. The mid-section of ITJ has several technical downhill sections. With temperatures very moderate for the time of year and some slipping and sliding expected, Onifa could not wish for ‘better’ conditions for himself. One contender who knows Onifa like the back of his hand is Hisashi Kitamura. A regular participant in ITJ, he has never managed the top five (his best was sixth), but Kitamura has had several outstanding runs this season in Japan - including race wins. Let’s see if he can get closer to Nishimura, Ogasawara, Yuya Kawasaki, Kento Tamura and the like this year.

In the women’s race eyes will be focused on 2022 winner and last year’s runner-up Honoka Akiyama. A year ago, she put up a great effort against China’s Xiang Fuzhao but had to settle for second place. Natsuki Tomii , third on the podium last year, will be one of her rivals for the victory.

ITJ is attracting ever more international runners. Also ATM Grandmasters Alfredo Reyes Jr (Golden Grandmaster). Trevor Lim, Mario Yap, Nick Pilapil and Julie Mae Marquez are running tomorrow.

You can follow the race live on Asia Trail Master facebook and Youtube as usual with the race start at 6am local time (5 am Hong Kong/Manila time)

2023 ATM Champion John Ray Onifa this year won the 50/50 at The 9 Dragons

Hisashi Kitamura has shown superb form in Japanese races this year

ITJ has some of the most amazing scenery of any trail in Asia, but rain and clouds may hamper the joy

Running back in time

Niigata has become one of Asia Trail Master’s permanent race regions over the past ten years and we are happy this tradition continues also in 2026. Deep Japan Ultra is confirmed as an ATM qualifier for Season XI’s Championship with its usual two Grandmaster Quest race distances: 100 miles and 80km.

Organised by well-known runner Hiroaki Matsunaga, the event takes place in Niigata Prefecture, roughly 2-3 hours by shinkansen northwest of Tokyo. There’s also a few international flights to Niigata city directly. Visitors not familiar with Japan will experience the real countryside, which often remains unexplored. The host venue is the Mount Asakusa Park. Participants should be prepared for technical mountain trails, which at higher altitudes may still be covered in snow. Especially if you sign up for the 100 miles, do not come unprepared and unfocused. This is not a race to ‘try out’ 100 miles for the first time. The 80 km category has plenty of spice and technicality as well. Those who take it seriously will be rewarded with one of Asia’s finest endurance trail runs.

Make sure you read all the requirements in terms of mandatory gear. The website - linked below - is very detailed and in English , so you can prepare in the best possible way.

Register as soon as you can, because spots are limited. Note also that there is a strict registration deadline of 28 February. Too late is really too late here. Give yourself time to plan the event, including accommodation and travel, and get yourself ready for a wonderful trail experience next June!

Hokkaido’s Koken Ogasawara confirmed his pre-race status as favourite in the men’s race with a great win on the 43km course of Island Trail Awaji, a new points race in Season XI of the Asia Trail Master Championship. It’s his second victory in ATM after Izu Trail Journey last year. Ryoshin Hase and Kazufumi Ose joined him on the podium, while Yuta Matsuyama finished in ninth place. Tomohiro Mizukoshi came in 21st, indicating a high competitive level.

Fastest woman was Yuri Yoshizumi, ahead of Chisato Kario, one of the Japanese finalists in the upcoming ATM Championship Final at 9 Dragons, and China’s Wen Fangyuan.

Awaji is an island connected by bridge to the city of Kobe, not too far from Osaka. The island is known for its puppet theatre and for its oignons.

The next Japanese qualifier event is Izu Trail Journey on Sunday, 14 December.

We are very happy to announce that the popular Minamiaso Caldera Trail on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu has obtained the ATM Candidate Race label for its ‘winter edition’ on Saturday, 20 December 2025. It will be the 11th edition of the event, which features a 50km main race category in and around Minamiaso and one of the world’s largest volcanic calderas. For international runners, Minamiaso could be combined with Izu Trail Journey, the ATM Championship & Grandmaster Quest points race taking place six days earlier.

Organised by Local Gain Inc, Minamiaso brings together maximum 1500 runners across three race categories. Apart from the flagship 50km, there is also a 30km, a 18km and 2km for less ambitious runners. The 50km is not to be underestimated with approx 2500 metres of elevation gain, as well as potential snow and chilly temperatures. It is a beautiful course, which is designated as a national park in Japan.

Actually, Minamiaso Caldera Trail takes place twice a year: once in winter and once in summer (July). Runners can therefore enjoy two different experiences each year.

Minamiaso is a village in Kumamoto Prefecture, which has an international airport with flights to a.o. Hong Kong, Seoul, Busan, Shanghai and Taiwan. Of course, there are also plenty of domestic connections to Tokyo, Osaka etc. Note that Fukuoka, Japan’s fifth biggest city on the northside of Kyushu island, is just a 2-hour drive away from Kumamoto and Minamiaso as well. International runners could target Fukuoka airport, too, and take a shinkansen to Kumamoto (50 minutes).

The website of the event is fully translated in English and linked below. Note that registration is open and expected to be full by the end of October.

Photos below by PhotomorU.

We are happy to announce that this year’s 12th edition of Izu Trail Journey in Japan is scheduled for Sunday, 14 December and is now open for registration. One of the country’s most iconic and most competitive trail races has been a member of our Asia Trail Master calendar since 2017 and always ranks among the very best events of the season. The Izu Peninsula is not far south from Tokyo , and race pack collection site Mishima is connected to the capital via shinkansen bullet train.

The stunning course of the Izu Trail Journey, often referred to as "ITJ", takes runners from the edge of the ocean up and across the mountains of the peninsula. It’s an A to B course mainly following an old pilgrimage trail of 70km, which means it’s also a Grandmaster distance. The expansive vistas of the Pacific Ocean below and the HUGE views of the majestic snow-topped Mt. Fuji you'll encounter while running along the Nishina Pass are awesome and will absolutely blow you away!

While the competition is tough, the cut-off time of 14 hours for the 70km is doable provided you keep moving and can also handle cold weather, which often characterises Izu. Snow is not excluded. The second part of the course is more technical and has more elevation difficulties than the initial runable 30km. Last year, victory went to Hokkaido’s Koken Ogasawara and China’s Xiang Fuzhao.

Registration goes via the official website linked below. Sign up soon, as this one fills up! A great end-of-year trip, Izu Trail Journey remains highly recommended for everyone keen on trying out a race in Japan.