About the Course (Long Course)

Type of Terrain: 80% Paths / 10% Tracks / 10% Roads (according to ITRA)

Elevation gain +1610 Elevation loss +1610

Mountain level 4

Finisher level 370

 

ITRA points

Long Course 45km – 2 ITRA points

Middle Course 32km – 1 ITRA point

 

Ishinomaki Tozan Marathon is an event held since 2019, which supports reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake and promotes sports utilizing a local mountain. The event was cancelled for three years due to COVID-19, but it was revived last year. This year was actually the first time the event had sunny weather with temperatures reaching around 15 degrees (in previous years there had been snow and rain). Runners had three courses to choose from: short (20km), middle (32km), or long (45km). My friend Tom and I chose the long course.

 

It was a 10-minute walk to the start line from the carpark and reception at Seihoku Park. All three courses began with a fair amount of road before heading into the mountains, bound for three small peaks. The short course turned around after the first peak, and the middle course turned around after the second peak.

 

The following is a description of the long course by Tom:

 

“The long course continued along mostly single track trail through the forest, offering blissful shade from the sun, to the third peak with its panoramic views over the ocean. From there, it was down to the third aid over an undulating few kilometres of trail, forestry track and roads with occasional tantalizingly fleeting glimpses of the beautiful, blue ocean which seemed to mock the thirst you were feeling at this point.

 

After the third aid station was an excruciatingly flat 6km through rice fields which you spend just willing yourself to get to the oasis of the fourth aid station and for the flat section to be done.

 

After a refreshing drink here, it was back into the trees for one last climb to the fourth peak. The toughness of steepness of this climb was nothing compared to the monotony of the previous flat rice field section. Once again there was the blissful shade of the trees which helped with the battle of the last climb. Legs screaming at the top of the climb, now all that was left was to keep the legs moving along the last downhill section along the road to the finish and the awaiting deer curry.”

 

Trails were runnable for the most part, with not too many hazards or slippery sections. I have a feeling we would have been sloshing through mud and streams in some parts if it had been wet conditions. Due to the long road sections, this race may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but it was good training, if anything, for longer races with road sections, as well as long road races with inclines.

 

I was a little nervous about running this course because I had heard that some people had got lost the previous year. However, the organisers seemed to have taken note since it was very well signposted this time and there were even marshals at the parts that may have caused confusion. We were also given a COCOHELI tracking tag at reception (and told that we MUST return them at the end) so that the organisers could locate us if we strayed off course. This gave runners peace of mind.

 

A basic course map was provided on the slightly awkward-to-navigate race website. Other important race information was published on the event’s Facebook page, as well as the website. It was also sent to each of us by email. GPX data was available if you knew where to look (a YAMAP user had kindly uploaded his data), but it was a little difficult to find.

 

Motivation to run in this race

 

I have been wanting to join an event on the coast for quite some time to support areas that are recovering from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Ishinomaki Tozan Marathon gave me the opportunity to do just that. I was blown away by the kindness and hospitality of the event staff and the pride they had for their area.

 

In addition, the timing of the race and the length were just right to prepare me for a longer race the following month. I met a few other people at the event who were using it as a practice run too.

 

Access and accommodation

 

My group car-pooled to Ishinomaki on the day of the race this time. We were grateful for the late start time of 8:30am, with registration 7-8am. Ishinomaki is fairly accessible from Iwate, Yamagata, and Miyagi prefectures for a day trip (it’s not too far from Sendai). A few of my friends stayed in Ishinomaki the night before. For those who are able, I think I would recommend travelling to Ishinomaki the day before to make the most of the time there and to support local hotels and businesses.

 

Pre-race

There was one pop-up shop selling a few clothing items, running vests, gels etc. The carpark was near to race reception, and there was a toilet nearby too, so we didn’t feel too rushed before the race. It is worth noting that there is a 10 minute walk to the start line.

 

Required equipment

 

This event wasn’t as strict as other races I have joined. We were told there would be no bag check, but we were asked to bring a phone and it was recommended to bring a bear bell. It seemed to be up to us as runners to decide what was appropriate to bring. We were given COCOHELI tracker tags at reception.

 

Aid stations

 

Aid stations were well stocked with fruit, chocolate, miso soup, rice balls etc. I didn’t stop at them for long, but I was grateful for the refreshments. We were asked to bring our own portable cups for drinks, but actually paper cups were available too for those who had forgotten.

 

Some of the aid stations were also checkpoints where runners were required to scan a wristband to record times. Some of these checkpoints were not very obvious. A friend who was running the middle course race actually managed to miss one of the checkpoints. However, it didn’t seem to be a big problem since there was also a person manually writing down our bib numbers.

 

It was also a nice surprise to get some of the leftover food at the end of the race. Part of my race strategy is not to stop for too long at aid stations, so I’m always a bit disappointed to miss out on goodies.

 

Weather and clothing

 

Looking back at the event’s history, I was expecting cold or rainy weather, so it was a nice surprise to get sunshine. The weather in March is quite unstable in Tohoku, so it is best to prepare clothes for any weather situation. I was fine in shorts and T-shirt (I even removed my arm sleeves!) for this particular race. I was glad I remembered to put on sunblock before the race too! I packed rainwear (top and bottom) in case I felt cold, as well as gloves, a wool hat, and a foil emergency blanket.

 

Conclusion

 

I’m glad I joined this fun, local race. The organisers and staff were so friendly and helpful, and it was nice to run on a trail that was not overcrowded with runners. The fee to join the race was very reasonable. It included ITRA points for the middle and long courses, insurance for runners, COCOHELI, well-stocked aid stations, and some free local products at the end of the race for all participants. We also received a discount voucher for a local onsen valid for one year, all the more reason to visit Ishinomaki again!

 

I would like to join this event again in the future. I hope that it will continue to thrive and attract more runners from all over Japan.