We are delighted to announce that Shiga Kogen 100 in Yamanouchi Town, Nagano, is entering the Asia Trail Master calendar on 5-7 July! The Japanese trail event features a very scenic 100km race with 5100 hm elevation gain that will provide points for the ATM Championship ranking and for the Grandmaster Quest. The event is organised by the Shiga Kogen 100 Race Committee and Mr Koji Otsuka, one of the country’s most experienced trail running event organisers. Shiga Kogen is one of Japan’s main national parks and also a UNESCO Eco-Park. Despite the considerable amount of elevation gain, the 100km is considered runable.
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 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 55km category or a 21k category, but these offer no points for ATM. In any case, the organisers are confident that that despite the elevation gain, the 100km is a great introduction to the classic ultra distance for those who have never done it before.
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.
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 can be obtained via shiga100@ktf.or.jp .
