Launched in 2012 as Japan's first full-scale 100-mile race, the UTMF has been held once a year except for 2017, when it was cancelled, and this will be the seventh time it has been held.

Previously, there were two events: the UTMF, which covered a total distance of 100 miles, and the STY (Shizuoka to Yamanashi), which covered a total distance of approximately 92 kilometers. The number of participants was approximately 2,400. This is a one-way course, starting at Mt. Fuji Kodomonokuni in Shizuoka Prefecture, traveling through the mountains at the foot of Mt.

The distance of 100 miles (= approximately 165 km) is the global benchmark for long distance trail running races, commonly known as "ultra trails. Numerous 100-mile races are held in Europe and the United States, and they are popular among trail runners.

Not just anyone can enter the UTMF. You must have competed in and completed a qualifying race in the past three years and earned the specified number of "points" to be eligible to enter.

The reason for such requirements is that the 100-mile race is a grueling competition that involves running through mountainous terrain for two days and nights, and to determine whether the contestants are capable of overcoming the rigors of the race on their own and completing it within the time limit. Further on, a "lottery" awaits the entrants. This is because the number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available, even after earning the stipulated points and entering the race.

In other words, the UTMF is difficult to enter, and the only people standing at the start of the race are fierce competitors who have experience, ability, and luck.

The race started at 12:00 pm on Friday, April 26. Fuji Kodomo no Kuni, the starting point of the race, was covered with thick clouds from the morning, and the weather was unfortunately rainy on and off.

Trail running is a nature-based activity, and weather conditions are a prerequisite. Various tools, including rain jackets and rain pants, are required to be carried in case of rain, and failure to carry them will result in disqualification.

The members of the handsome Hui-Nam Running Club were not discouraged by the bad weather, and were ready to enjoy themselves before the grand stage of UTMF. About 10 members, including Hiroshi Yamamoto (second from the left in the center of the photo), deputy editor-in-chief of Huinum, who completed the race last year, participated in the race as competitors, and many members came to cheer them on.

Moreover, three female members are competing this year!

Female members of Hui-Nam Running Club ♡ who participated in this UTMF. From left, Fumika Morokuma, Tomomi Tsutsumi, and Ai Hasegawa.

Mr. Morokuma has extensive experience completing trail races of 100 km or more, and this is his second attempt at a 100-mile race. I will become a 100-miler in my 20s! and has been preparing for this race for many years.

Ms. Tsutsumi is an agile girl who runs a full marathon in 3 hours and 21 minutes. She is a talented runner who has finished in the top ranks in numerous trail races. However, this is her first time running a 100-mile race.

Born and raised at the foot of the Tanzawa mountain range, Hasegawa is a powerful woman who loves the mountains and is the only one of the three to have completed 100 miles, and is also an accomplished finisher of last year's UTMF and the UTMB, a race around Mont Blanc.

In this issue, we will feature these three drivers and report on the race.

At 12:00, the race started with the signal of the gun! The long journey began with a time limit of 46 hours.

The UTMF is a very long course with a total distance of approximately 165 kilometers. Not all of the trails are steep, but the course layout is rich in variety, including gentle trails, forest roads, and roads.

Mr. Tsutsumi on the downhill trail. The tree roots, wet from the rain, are slippery, so be careful.

Mr. Morokuma runs through muddy trails and rain-soaked roads in poor visibility due to thick fog.

Mr. Hasegawa runs up the trail wearing a rain jacket over his backpack. Many runners ran in this style to prevent their sacks from getting wet in the rain during the inclement weather.

Mr. Hasegawa runs with a headlamp to illuminate his destination.

Mountain roads at night are naturally pitch-dark. Headlamps and other lights are indispensable and are designated as must-haves. However, it rained throughout the nighttime portion of the event and the course was shrouded in thick fog, which diffused the light from the lights and made it difficult to see more than a few meters ahead, depending on the location and time of day.

UTMF has 10 "aid stations" along the course where riders can refuel with water and food and take breaks. Some of the aid stations are also open to cheering fans and supporters. The presence of friends is very reassuring during the long hours of the race.

Mr. Hasegawa takes a sigh of relief after arriving at the foot of A2 at the 51km point. After making the necessary refueling, he quickly set off for the next step.

Mr. Tsutsumi eating a meal. The temperature was cool throughout the UTMF this time, and the hot meals served at the aid stations seemed to sink in.

At the A2 aid station at the 51-kilometer point, the famous Fujinomiya yakisoba noodles were served, filling the stomachs of the runners.

After one night, it was the second day of the race. Fuji could be seen from the course for a time, but it was short-lived. Fuji could be seen from the course, but it was short-lived. The sky was again covered with thick clouds.

Incidentally, I am often asked about ultra trails, "How do you sleep after running for such a long time? The top athletes run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While the top racers run tirelessly, most runners take a nap at the aid stations. For safety reasons, sleeping on the course is prohibited by the race rules.

Players take a nap wrapped in blankets on blue sheets. The scene looked like a battlefield encampment.

Morokuma fell to the ground as soon as he arrived at the 78-km point at Lake Shojiko (A4), after passing through the sea of trees at the foot of Mt.

The "leg is over ......." Ms. Hasegawa announced her own retirement at the 95 km point, A5 Katsuyama. Why?

According to him, "I skipped some of the early part of the race to avoid getting stuck in traffic, but I was clearly overpacing myself, as I was out of practice. As a result, my legs ended up in a state where I could not go fast even if I wanted to run. Every step I took only moved like a cowpoke. This was my first experience," he said.

In this race, which was hit by bad weather, there were many retirements due to hypothermia caused by traffic jams in the case of the slower racers, while in the case of the faster racers, some retired after anticipating the dangers of the course ahead. All of these are correct decisions based on the risks in the mountains. However, as we will see later, if they had anticipated the unexpected outcome of this race, they might have chosen to keep going as far as they could. As for Mr. Hasegawa, it could be said that his retirement at this point was a wise choice, or from a different perspective, his experience got in the way. It is difficult to make a general statement about that.

On the second day of the race, the temperature hardly rose during the day, and it began to rain again, making the weather more severe than the previous day. The rain only intensified as time went by.

Around Lake Yamanaka, the rain turned to snow in the afternoon.

Mr. Tsutsumi stalled at the 127 km point at A7 Yamanakako Kirara. He was so cold that he could not stop shivering. This aid station is outdoors, so the more they stop, the more they lose body heat.

According to the forecast, the rain will stop during the evening of this day and the next morning, but the temperature is expected to drop further. Under this inclement weather, there are concerns for the safety of the athletes.

Then, a little past 3:00 p.m., a message came into my cell phone from the organizer, officially announcing that the race would be shortened due to the increased risk of snowfall, freezing, and low temperatures during the night near Shakushidake. In effect, the race was canceled.

Only 91 players, including some of the top players, were able to reach Kawaguchi Lake. This represents only 4% of the total. Mr. Tsutsumi finished the race at the 127 km point, A7 Yamanakako Kirara, Mr. Morokuma at the 114 km point, A6 Oshino, and Mr. Hasegawa at the 95 km point, A5 Katsuyama. However, the organizers announced that all runners who arrived at A5 Katsuyama by 12:50 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, would be counted as finishers.

In addition, there was an unimaginable world on top of the mountain.

The two photos above were taken by Mr. Masato Mizukoshi, public relations manager of Hui-Nam Running Club ♡, who participated in this event as an athlete and ran between A6 Oshino at the 114 km point and A7 Yamanakako Kirara at the 127 km point, between Mt. Please visit .......

On the final day of the event, the day after the race was cancelled, the area around Lake Kawaguchi where the awards ceremony and closing ceremony were held was clear and sunny. The bad weather of the previous day seemed to disappear as a pleasant blue sky spread over the area, and Mount Fuji, which was barely visible during the race, was clearly visible.

Since we were there, some of the members, with a clouded mind, went to the Teppo Tree Head, the most spectacular view point on the UTMF course.

The truth is, I could have run with such a wonderful view. ...... I couldn't help but have such thoughts as I stood in front of the majestic Mt.

They say the weather in the mountains is changeable, but no one could have imagined that it would end this way. It is unfortunate, and it is most unfortunate of all. But it can't be helped. Thus ended the challenge of UTMF 2019 for Huynem Running Club ♡.

I was relieved, that's the best way I can put it. The traffic jam at the beginning of the race was worse than I had imagined, it took longer, and I had to be aware of the barrier. I was almost in tears as I wondered how I was going to cope with more bad weather ahead in the midst of these anxieties: being rained on almost all day, my body not warming up no matter how much I ran, my stomach hurting and not accepting food, sleepiness coming on after one night over, etc. When I got the call to cancel, I was relieved of all burdens, my legs felt light, my stomach felt good, I didn't feel cold, and I realized that 100 miles is a mental sport. I was more relieved than frustrated, as finishing the race was in jeopardy. I am not thinking about next year at this point. When I thought about how to spend my remaining two years of my twenties, I decided to take a break from long trails after UTMF. But now that the 100-mile race is off the table, I will continue to run, with the first priority being to have fun, in preparation for my changeable personality.

This was my first 100-mile race challenge. Based on my mistake of running too fast in the early stages of last year's STY and slowing down in the latter half, I set a timetable of 37 hours as my goal for this year's race and set my sights on finishing it. As this is one of the biggest trail running races in Japan, there was a festive atmosphere on the day of the race as well as at the registration desk the day before the race. And, being such a big race, many of the runners, volunteers, and supporters along the way were well-known to me, so I think I was just smiling and having fun throughout the race as they cheered and gave each other shout-outs (laugh). It is a pity that I could not finish the 100-mile race because it was cancelled halfway through due to bad weather, but I could make it to the A7 Yamanakako Kirara without any trouble because of the supportive members and team members who participated with me. I was planning to finish the UTMF this year and support the team next year, but I may enter again next year because I want to reach FINISH on my own feet.

'My third 100-mile race of my life turned out to be a disappointment. This was the first time I had to retire from a race. The reason was simple: I broke my little toe two months before the race and had not trained enough. I flew too fast in the beginning of the race, overpaced, and my foot ended in the middle of the race. Does a foot ever end? Yes, they end. This was also my first time ♡ I remember now, I was suffering at that time. ...... Everything was painful. Normally, I love climbing, but at that time, it was just a pain in the ass. The best thing about long races is that you can play with the mountains for a long time. Because it is a long race, if you don't enjoy it, you won't be able to continue! Moreover, the UTMF offers a spectacular view of Mt! （Fuji from start to finish (if the weather is nice, that is). (If the weather is good, that is.) Next time, I would like to train hard and run on a clear day! My challenge continues!