April! It's officially the start of spring. It's my third spring here, and time sure does fly. Only after so many years is this city starting to slightly feel like home.
Spring is peak running weather, which means so many interesting events! The Golden Trail Series will be in Kobe from the 19th to the 20th! We are excited (well, I am anyway) to meet some of the world's fastest trail runners.
Then, a week after that, it's going to be Ultra-Trail Mount Fuji 100-miler!
The Barkley Marathons were held just two weeks ago, and—almost like a revenge scenario—no one finished the race this year, in contrast to the five finishers last year!
Trails in Motion 2025!
The new season of Trails in Motion is about to begin! Please watch out on the website, social media and newsletters for screening dates and places, we hope to have screenings all over Japan this year!
Featured Episode
Summits, Donuts & TJAR: Brian and Derin’s Epic Ultra-Running Adventures in Japan
Derin is an American ultra-runner living in Tokyo. After developing a world-class dad bod due to years of health negligence, he took up running in 2017 at age 38 to master a sport he’d always disdained. A former competitive swimmer and avid hiker, he rebuilt his fitness in true rookie fashion, learning hard lessons from successive mistakes. In 2024, he became the first foreign athlete ever selected to participate in the grueling 415km Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR). Brian is an American living in Japan, raised near the Sierra Nevadas. Coming from a unique lineage of mountaineers (father’s side) and donut artisans (mother’s side), he is currently combining these two genetic impulses by attempting to eat a Mister Donut on the summit of all 100 of Japan’s Famous Mountains. An accomplished ultra-runner, Brian enjoys spending long days in the mountains, embracing both the adventure and the challenge. Both runners are passionate about pushing their limits and exploring Japan’s rugged landscapes, one summit (and one donut) at a time.
