UTMF Trilogy (Pre-Race)

“Only from the heart you can touch the sky” – Rumi.

Our lucky number for UTMF – 887 & 865.
Thanks PEKA for your support, “Save Our Rainforest”

 

UTMF 101

Ultra-Trail Mt.Fuji (UTMF) is an official sister race to Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB). While UTMB was established in 2003, the UTMF is just recently founded in 2012 by Tsuyoshi Kaburaki, an accomplished world class Japanese Ultra Trail Runner.

This year, 2014 is only the 3^rd edition of this prestigious ultra-trail race in Asia. A quick recap on distances and elevation of UTMF since 2012.

2012: Distance – 156km, Elevation gain – 8,540 meters, 48 hours cut-off.
(Trekking poles allowed).

2013: Distance – 161km, Elevation gain – 9,164 meters, 46 hours cut-off.
(Trekking poles allowed).

2014: Distance – 169km, Elevation gain - 9,500 meters. 46 hours cut-off.
(Trekking poles NOT allowed).

So far, we only had two Malaysian finisher in the history of UTMF. Seow Kong and Shine Teh completed this gruelling Ultra race in 2012, while last year (2013) we had zero Malaysian finisher. We hope to change that statistic this year at UTMF.

I arrived at Haneda Airport, Tokyo on Tuesday night around 10:30pm. Decided to sleep at the airport before taking the first bus to Lake Kawaguchi at 6:55am next morning.

Me and the rest of team Malaysian stayed at K’s House Lake Kawaguchi, I would say the best hostel so far in terms of cleanliness and comfy (comparing my stay at Hostels around the world – Berlin, Hong Kong, Leadville, Singapore etc).

Bus service from Haneda to Lake Kawaguchi & Ks House.

I guess I’m lucky because my time in Japan was greeted with beautiful cherry blossom, my first ever trip to Japan for UTMF and its blooming Sakura. Life is beautiful when you travel.

 

Morning run around Lake Kawaguchi with beautiful Cherry Blossom all around the lake.

The rest of Team Malaysia arrived a day later (Thursday), I took the opportunity to have my morning run around the beautiful Lake Kawaguchi before checking the race site and expo. Came across Joe Grant and Japanese team Buff running on the bridge. Said hi to him when we passed each other, he replied and had kinda surprise look, and maybe he didn’t expected someone would recognise him here.

As I reached the race site, someone very familiar just finished his morning run. A group of HK runners quickly took the opportunity to take photos with Sébastien Chaigneau– world class Ultra runner and defending champion of Hardrock 100.

I had a chat with his wife at the side and his son was on the bicycle. Then, Seb came over to us. Only then I asked Seb’s missus to take my photo with him. Nice strategy Raymau, Seb is very humble guy and we talk a bit about his race. I was a bit concerned, especially after he DNF UTMB and Transgrancanaria.

“How are you Seb, are you ok? (for this race)”, I asked Seb. He smiled and said he’s ok now. Unfortunately during this year UTMF’s Seb pulled out after running half of the course, he might still not recovered from his previous race – especially Hardrock 100, that’s is the toughest Ultra race in America (USA).

I met more familiar runners after that at UTMF race site, Nuria Picas, Joe Grant, Nick Clark & Ryan Sandes (after the race). No Tony Krupicka though, he came to UTMF but last minutes injury ruled him out of the race.

 

With Nuria Picas (UTMF 2014 Women Champion), Joe Grant, Nick Clark, Seb and Ryan Sandes.

UTMF is a world class Ultra-Trail event, this year it’s getting bigger than previous year especially when it’s in the list of the Ultra-Trail World Tour (UTWT). More international elite runners are joining UTMF this year.

When Bud finally arrived, we went for mandatory gear check and bib pick up after a nice lunch at nearby Pakistan restaurant. Can you say Roti Naan…

They really check your mandatory gear thoroughly, course map, mobile phone, collapsible cup, water (min 1 liter), two lights/lamps with extra batteries, portable toilet, warm long sleeve t.shirt, warm running pant, warm gloves, beanie (buff is not acceptable), water proof jacket, waterproof pant, first aid kit.

I had printed the wrong map – the overall map! Oh No!!

They wanted me to show the details map of the course (all 18 of them), finally they passed me after I downloaded the maps into my smart phone (the maps are available at the UTMF website).

Finally the blue wrist band is tied up on my right wrist, in other words – Fuji owned my ass now till Sunday. My bag weight a tonne now, I have no idea how to run with this heavy back tomorrow (Friday).

 

Mandatory gear check

 

UTMF 2014 race expo

According to past participant, the race expo it’s three times bigger than last year. You can get all your gears and gels here, appropriately for last minute gears shopping. I was interested in only one thing – the portable toilet (mandatory gear).

The night before the race I received many good luck massages and encouragements from my friends around the world. Thanks peeps that meant a lot to me. But my most heartfelt thanks goes to my friends from Thailand, Pok and K-San. They made a special tribute for me and my UTMF race. Who knows I got some followers and fans in Thailand.

TBC