Last Sunday, Shiga-chan and I took part in the 4th Tado-yama Trail Run, held at Mt. Tado in Mie Prefecture—a place likely familiar not just to hikers, but to cyclists as well.
The weather was perfect. The red arch you see in the distance is the start and finish gate.
We entered the 24km Challenge Course, the longest distance in the event, which had 400 entrants. Since this was the first trail running race for both of us, we were, of course, full of anxiety. We received advice from experienced friends on things like how much fuel to carry and what pace to maintain, and at 8:00 AM, we stood at the starting line with everyone else.
"Trail running" doesn't mean you can run the entire course; there were sections where we had to climb at a hiking pace. As you can see, it was quite crowded. Of course, the lead pack was likely charging right up...
This was about the only time during the race I had the energy to take photos; the rest of the time, I was just focused on coaxing my legs along to keep them from cramping. Not enough training!
My legs finally cramped in the last kilometer, and as you can see, I finished with a grimace. It might be hard to believe looking at this photo, but I truly enjoyed the whole thing. Really.
Shiga-chan, on the other hand, made a relaxed finish, despite being quite frustrated about taking a wrong turn on the course.
As for the actual result, I placed 120th out of 370 people, which I think is pretty decent for a first race. My footing for this race was supported, of course, by my Altra Superior 3.0.
The ground was wet from the previous day's rain, but I was able to run through the climbs and descents without any worries, thanks to the increased grip of the version 3.0 Superior. Thank you, Superior! When it comes to mountain climbing and descending, it's just like mountain biking—choosing the right shoe is as important as choosing the right tire.
There was a turnaround point in this race, and we passed runners ahead of and behind us. Everyone was calling out "Great job!" and "Keep it up!"—a sight you don't really see in bike races, and it was the most memorable part of the day for me.
It was a very laid-back, local-feeling race, and since it's quite close to Nagoya, I don't think the barrier to entry is very high.
Besides the 24km Challenge Course, there was a 13km Enjoy Course and a 3km Family Course, so even beginners have nothing to worry about!
I plan on competing again next year, so if you're interested, why not join me? Thank you to everyone who cheered us on, spoke to us, and to the event organizers! Next year, I'm aiming for a double-digit ranking!