Part of the 2022 Skyrunner Japan Series (SJS), the Ueda Vertical Race and Ueda Sky Race took place May 3 and 4 in Ueda, Nagano. Put on by the Japan Skyrunning Association, SJS is the peak of the domestic mountain running circuit. Founded in 2015 and now in its 8th season, the series has made a fresh start with the Swiss company Norqain as its official timekeeper.
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The first day of racing featured the Ueda Vertical Race, 5 km with 1000 m of climb. Honoka Akiyama won the women's race in 54:31, Karen Kobayashi taking 2nd and Suzuha Kusuda (Team Sky Kyoto) 3rd. In the men's race Ryunsoke Omi (Team Sky Kyoto) took the top spot in 43:47, with Tomofumi Miyagawa 2nd and Miki Ushida 3rd.
The 2021 National Sky Champion, Akiyama joined last year's SJS during its 2nd half. Ueda was her 5th win, 3 of which came in Vertical Kilometer races. "I'd been targeting the course record of 49:54 (set in 2017 by Yuri Yoshizumi), but I wasn't even close," she said post-race. "I'm disappointed that I didn't have it in me. I'll be pretty tired for the Sky Race tomorrow, so while I'll be hoping to win my main goal will be to finish it."
Omi, the 2021 men's National Sky Champion, scored his first win the Vertical Kilometer series and second SJS win. "My goal was to break Ruy Ueda's 42:02 course record," he said. "I don't know if I'm not strong enough to get it or just couldn't get close on the day, so even though I got my first win of the season that was an issue for me. Overall I'm planning to spend about half the season overseas, with about 3 months on the European circuit in the first half of the year. But I also want to run the Youth World Championships, so I want to run my races before that in a way that'll help me be ready to represent."
On the second day of racing, Akiyama pulled off the double with a 4:22:59 win in the Ueda Sky Race, 25 km with 3000 m of elevation change. Kusuda was 2nd, with Ayaka Ueda (Ridgeline Osaka) taking 3rd. Shoma Otagiri was the men's winner in 3:47:56, Yamato Yoshino 2nd and Miyagawa 3rd.
For Akiyama it was a 6th-straight win following her Vertical victory the day before. "When there aren't any races it's hard to know where you really stand," she said. "I'm really grateful that this event was able to take place this year. I wasn't anywhere near the course record (4:09:17 by Takako Takamura in 2019), but I'll keep working to be able to represent Japan at the World Championships in Italy this September and to be up there among the world's best."
3rd in the 2021 National Sky Ultra, Otagiri scored his 2nd SJS win. "I ran with Miyagawa over the first half and we got into a good rhythm, so my legs were still fresh in the second half" he said. "Instead of trying to be out front I just concentrated on trying to run up to my ability, and eventually Yamato, who was leading, started to fade. I was pretty lucky to win, so I don't want to make too much out of it and just stay focused on running longer races to get ready for the World Championships in September."
The SJS now moves to the Kanto Region. The next race in the series will be the Tokyo Vertical Race June 5 in Hinohara, Tokyo, followed a week later by the Tsumagoi Sky Run in Tsumagoi, Gunma. Entries for both races are still open. You can look forward to seeing the country's best Sky Runners aiming for the top!
translated by Brett Larner
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