CONCEPT

What I cherish when I produce a racecourse is to create a course that tells a story. I repeatedly run every possible trail and road that can be part of the racecourse and try to incorporate a dramatic structure to the race. In Japanese we call this structure "kishotenketsu" and it includes four parts - the introduction, the development part, the twist and turn part, and the conclusion. I incorporate this structure in the 100-mile racecourse, and I also try to create a course so that runners can enjoy views of Mt.Fuji from various locations and angles.

The first part of the Mt.FUJI 100 consists of gentle ups and downs through the lush forests at the first and second stations of Mt.Fuji. After your body has gotten acclimated to the air at the foot of Mt.Fuji while running through deep forests, you enter the mountain zone.

In the middle part of the race, you will run a course that connects a variety of landscapes, including the Tenshi Mountains that stretch long and narrow along the western side of Mt.Fuji, the Aokigahara Forest known as the Sea of Trees, satoyama (the zone between mountains and flat arable land) at the northern foot of Mt.Fuji, and urban streets where new and old things coexist beautifully. The mountains you will go through mostly consist of lush virgin forests. Among them, the Aokigahara Sea of Trees deserves a special mention. The Sea of Trees is often associated with negative and gloomy impressions, but actually this is one of the most pristine and beautiful forests in the world. Until around 1,200 years ago, there was a large lake named Seno-Umi at the northwestern foot of Mt.Fuji. When Mt.Fuji erupted in 864, the mountain spewed a massive amount of lava which filled most of Seno-Umi. After the vast area of thick lava cooled down, sediment accumulated over it, and over a long period of time trees and plants took root, creating the Aokigahara Sea of Trees. The forest scenery, with its diverse vegetation, mossy lava rocks, and sunlight filtering through the leaves, is out of this world beautiful and just breathtaking.

In the latter part of the race, the course scenery changes completely after you leave the Yamanakako Aid Station. The mountains at the beginning and middle parts of the race ranged from 1,200 to 1,400 meters in elevation with relatively gentle hills. But from here on, the course goes through long, steep, and tough mountain areas. After you run through Mt. Myojin, Mt. Takazasu, Yamabushi Pass, and Mt. Ishiwari one after another, you will face Mt. Shakushi, the final and toughest mountain in this race. When you climb rocks and hike up the long trail, you will reach the highest point of the race at the summit of Mt. Shakushi, 1,597 meters in elevation. At the top, please ring the "Bell of the Sky" while enjoying the panoramic view of Mt.Fuji in front of you.

The section from the Fujiyoshida Aid Station to the finish line is called the ‘winning-run section’, but do not get fooled by the fun-sounding name, because Mt. Shimo, another tough spot at the end, awaits you. The uphill and winding trail is almost depressing to run with a completely exhausted body after already running over 150 kilometers. When you climb all the way up to the ridge, that is where you can finally let yourself go and run freely. After viewing Mt.Fuji from the summit of Mt. Tenjo and the twinkling townscape that spreads out at the foot of Mt.Fuji, you make a quick descent into the city to the finish line where your 100-mile journey ends.