Nikko Mountain Running 2023
by Alice Handscomb
A journey through Oku-Nikko National Park to the “Corridor of Heaven.”
The Guts of it
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40km Middle Course
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Sunday, 12th November, 2023
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Toshogu shrine and temple complex, Nikko, Tochigi
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Entry limit: 1000 runners
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Finishers: 889 finishers
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Start time: 6:00am
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Time limit: 11 hours
Race Photos
About the course (Middle Course)
We were informed of changes to the race distance for the 20km and 40km races about a month before the event. Both courses took a shortcut, reducing the distance by 5km. The information was clearly presented as a pdf map on the race homepage. Gpx data was also provided.
All of the courses started within the Toshogu shrine and temple complex, which is a world heritage site and an important religious site in Japan. It was still dark when we lined up at the start line, with some people wearing their headlights, and the atmosphere was very exciting!
The middle course started at sunrise and took us up a road passing by some of the Toshogu shrine buildings before crossing a bridge over a river to begin our journey through the forest. The views were nice, with a few autumn colours remaining. As we entered the forest section, there were some obstacles to watch out for, such as a knee-high rope across the trail, causing a traffic jam for some of the slower runners.
It was my first time taking part in a race of this scale, so I was a little surprised at how congested the trail got, especially for the steep sections. On reflection, it is probably better to push a little harder at the beginning of the race to get ahead of the traffic jams.
About 5km into the course on the way out, and AGAIN at about 30km on the way back, we had to wade through a river. We were warned by race director Yukari that we would get wet feet, and she was not wrong. Luckily my shoes mostly dried out on the way up. On the way back, we were also treated to a section of wet, slippery mud. I’d given up avoiding puddles at that point.
There were a fair amount of steep climbs (total elevation gain was about 2,200m), eventually taking us through Kirifuri Highland (a former ski resort). At some point there were some views that were quite nice and a photographer was waiting to take our photos as we gleefully ran through a plateau.
The climax of the race was climbing 4024 steps of the so-called “Sky Corridor”, a staircase that (on a clear day) gives panoramic views of the area, as far as Mount Fuji. Or so I’ve heard...
It was a tough climb, especially on a cold day, but it was very satisfying to reach the top. It is definitely worth stopping by the Rest House to use the warm toilets and put on some layers before taking on the staircase.
Motivation to run in this race
I liked the idea of running in a race that uses a world heritage site as the main venue, and that takes in many points of interest. I’d also heard that the scenery is nice in Nikko in the autumn, so I wanted to enjoy sightseeing in the area before and after the race with my friends.
Finally, I was happy to support the race director, Yukari Hoshino, a female trail runner from Nikko, who is active internationally as well as in Japan.
Access and accommodation
My group car-pooled to Nikko the day before the race because we wanted to enjoy sightseeing and the pre-race event. Since we are sent the race pack in advance, it actually isn’t necessary to go to the pre-race event. It is also possible to access the race venue by train.
There are some hotels close to the race start line, but my group opted to stay at a cheaper self-catered guesthouse a little out of town the day before the race.
Since our guesthouse was out of town, on the day of the race, we used the free park and ride shuttle bus service to get to the start line. It is worth getting to the carpark early to get a space (around 4am). It is a temporary carpark with no markings and no marshals (except at the entrance), so it can be a bit chaotic trying to find a parking space in the dark. Shuttle buses ran very frequently and stopped at a couple of locations.
Pre-race
There were a few pop-up shops and food stalls to check out on both the day before and on the race day. One of the stalls was handing out free foil emergency blankets for runners.
There was also a “course explanation” session and a “talk show” (which I didn’t attend), led by the race director. All the information was in Japanese, but with some helpful visuals.
On the day of the event, we were able to leave a drop bag fairly near the start line. There were also quite a few porta-loos. It’s worth getting there early because the queue for the toilets got quite long (especially the queue for the gents).
Required equipment
The kit-list was quite similar to other races that I have entered. The items I wasn’t expecting to need were a portable toilet and a battery pack. I wasn’t sure why we needed the portable toilet since there were toilets on the course. I suppose it was to ensure that the national park was kept clean.
Aid stations
There were a few aid stations and toilets along the course with some local specialities as well as what you might expect to find at most aid stations. My favourites were “bite-sized yokan” (sweet bean jelly), “kinu no seiryu” (sweet bean paste between two slices of round-shaped cookies), and fried chicken. I decided to give the “robata-zuke” pickles a miss, even though they seemed very popular with other runners. Some of the aid stations also had hot soup and hot drinks, but I passed on those to avoid too many toilet trips.
If you have your eye on any particular food, I recommend picking it up at the earlier aid stations because they run out of some of the popular local specialities before the slower runners can get to them.
It's also a good idea to bring your own gels and food since the aid stations are quite spread out and they might not suit western tastebuds.
Weather and clothing
I was keeping an eye on the weather forecast in the days leading up to the event. The weather can be very changeable in November, so I thought it was necessary to think very carefully about what clothing to wear and bring.
The weather forecast had shown that it would be cold (around 6 degrees) and that it might rain (or even snow at the peak!), so I spent quite some time deciding what to wear and what to pack in my running vest. Eventually, I decided to wear a T-shirt with arm-sleeves on the top and shorts with no tights on the bottom. I packed rainwear (top and bottom) in case I felt cold, as well as gloves, a hat, and the required foil emergency blanket.
The weather turned out to be cloudy, but still very cold with some chilly wind. It was one of the coldest races I’ve joined, and I was so glad that I’d remembered to pack warm gear for it.
I heard that it had been very warm the previous year, so it really seems to just depend on the day this season.
Conclusion
Nikko was a really fun place for a race. The atmosphere was great, the race was well organised, and the staff were warm and friendly (got quite a few high-fives!)
Those hoping to get ITRA points may be disappointed, but it is clear from the start that this is intended to be a fun race which showcases the beauty of Nikko, with the hope that all runners will finish the race with a smile on their faces.
I would definitely consider joining this event again. Next time, if I can get my entry in early enough, I may join the short course. That way, I can keep my feet dry and have more time and energy for hiking, eating, and shopping in Nikko.
Alice Handscomb
November 2023