XTERRA Japan Report

RESULTS

by Dave "Kahuna" Nicholas, XTERRA managing director

Once again the powerful XTERRA weather Gods saved the day.  Reports on the Wednesday before our race said a Typhoon was headed towards Tokyo and the maps showed our site at Marunuma was in the path.  Thursday night we got a few puffs of wind and it rained; but rain is nothing unusual here in the mountains of Gunma prefecture.  We totally escaped the wrath as the Typhoon turned north and Friday, although soggy and cloudy, we were able to pull things together.

On race day the sun was out and the scenery magnificent.  This is the first time XTERRA Japan has been held in the same place two years in a row.  The great reviews from last year had a field of 160+ on the line for a 1:00pm start accompanied by hundreds of butterflies floating all around the beach.

Hideo Fukui led by 45 seconds leaving transition from Aussie Jason Chalker.  Everyone was happy to see Yu Yumoto, a long time XTERRA competitor and former Japan Champion back in action and he looked very fit and focused and came by in 4th place.

A new start loop was added to the overall course this year and had the athletes coming back to the main compound after about a 10 minute ride.  Fukui still led, Chalker second but a determined Yumoto was flying in third as they headed out onto the big loop.  Half an hour after the big people started, a field of 19 youngsters began the XTERRA kids race and some of these little ones could fly.  A very nice addition to an action packed day.

Jamie Whitmore had jumped up to the head of the womens field at the end of the start loop with Finland’s Rikke Kelja second, Japan’s Mami Saito third and Ingrid Rolles fourth. 

About 40 minutes later the bikers came back to the compound and we not only found Yumoto in the lead, but he led by 5 minutes from Chalker with Fukui another 2 minutes behind Chalks.  Yumoto had taken everyone by surprise and posted what Chalker called “a totally sick ride”.  Not much changed during the run with Yumoto coming home in 2 hours 23 minutes, Chalker 7 minutes back, Fukui 2 minutes behind Chalker and Kiwi mountain biker Mark Leishman a very nice 4th.  Cyclo-Cross champion Mitsuru Ohara ran his way up into a top 5 position.

The women kept themselves in order with Jamie having a pretty easy time of it.  She had a huge lead coming off the bike and cruised home to win over Rikke Kelja.  Ingrid Rolles worked her way into third and Mami Saito and Yuko Sasaki 4th and 5th.

A great Japanese BBQ fed the throngs as evening set in and the Beeru flowed freely.. no sake thank you.  Finally the rains started as (honest) a totally ganstah Japanese rap group started…

Sunday an amazing 91 people started the XTERRA 30K Trail Run Scramble.  No it is not a typo… it is a trail run of 30K up into the surrounding mountains.  Awards on Sunday included not just the winners of the Scramble but awards for the Japan “Double”, for the fastest combined time of those who did XTERRA on Saturday and the Scramble on Sunday. 

For you curious Global Xterra folks, this area is simply wonderful old Japan.  The scenery is spectacular and an easy hours drive from our race HQ is the ancient city of Nikko – where the real Last of the Samurai’s story took place.  Amazing and if you come to Marunuma you have to take a day to walk the shrines and palaces.

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