Eric et Yuki: 4th Nokogiriyama Trail Run Race

Nokogiriyama Trail Run Race was held on Saturday Dec. 21 in Chiba Prefecture.

We were very lucky with the weather because after 3 days of rain, the sun was out and there was no wind.

The distance was announced to be 28km. No information about the total elevation gain (TEG), but from last year I was expecting less than 1100m. Finally, from my Suunto Ambit 2, the distance was 30.6km and TEG 1200m.

Last year, this was for Yuki and I our first trail in Japan. We liked it so we came back this year, with another Nambanner : Chih. Alistair was also supposed to come but I guess he had a hitch (I hope no injury !).

Last year we came the day before by train and stayed in a ryokan. This year, we took the bus set up by the organization, which was leaving Tokyo station at 7:00 in the morning. I think both are good options though the second one is less expensive, of course.

I like the course though I would appreciate more technical trail. I think there is more than the half of paved road or gravel path.

Last year I started at the front of the pack (maybe second line) and thanks to that, I was visible on this year website background picture. So this year too, I took position at the front, but first line this time ;) Then, as usually, I was passed by maybe a hundred of people during first 4km of road. Then from the first step on a trail, I started to pass back, and until the end I would be passed only by one person. Thanks to a reasonable start and my training for marathon in last few months, I could keep the same speed (at least on road portion) from the beginning to the end. And I could enjoy speeding in downhill trail without pain for the first time since my knee injury in UTMF in April.

We reserved a seat in the last bus (16:30) so we had time to enjoy a small onsen at 15min walk from the race place.

So it was a great day, and we might go again in the years coming, hopefully with the company of many other nambanners ? (it is a good trail for beginners, not too long, not too technical though slippery after rain, and with very large time limit (6:30:00))

Here are our results :

Eric : 3:10:23 - General 26/804 - 40-50yo male 2/241

Yuki : 3:59:08 - General 141/804 - General female 6/99 (last to get a prize)

Chih : 4:02:36 - General 153/804 - 30-40yo male 50/222

Yuki 6th overall

I missed the first place in my category by 7sec. I passed the one who would end up first place about 5km before the goal, then he followed me and passed me at about 200m before the goal. I could not follow him, he was as fast as Derek when he decides to accelerate ! He was a pilot instructor in Japan self defense force.

And the one that finished 24 was very fast at the end, on the road portion. I congratulate him for that when I arrived and he told me that he was a road runner. Later I checked on internet and I found out that he participated in Hakone Ekiden 3 times and he’s PB on 10km was 28:34:58…in year 2000. OK, it was 13 years ago, but me, at that time I was running 10k in 44min. I almost overtook a Hakone Ekiden runner ! ;))) Zannen !

The gps data are here :

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move22777611