Report: OSJ Ontake Ultra Trail 100K

Last weekend I took part in my first 100km race, the OSJ Ontake Ultra Trail. It came a bit too soon after the Utsukushigahara 80K, and I wasn’t particularly up for it, especially as it started on the stroke of midnight when I’d usually be fast asleep in bed! I opted to start at the very back of the 1,000 runners, intending to follow a very conservative race plan that […]

Preview: Utsukushigahara 70K

In a little over a week I’ll be on my way to Nagano prefecture for the biggest race of my life, a 70 kilometer trail run across the Utsukushigahara highlands. Since my disappointing performance in April’s Kakegawa Marathon, I’ve been nursing myself back to running health. The Norikura Marathon in June came too soon, but by running slowly and enjoying the experience I was able to finish it without any […]