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

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.

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.