The 76th edition of one of Japan's most iconic races happened Friday at the Fuji Mountain Race in Yamanashi. In the summit race, 21 km up the slopes of Mt. Fuji starting near 800 m and peaking around 3700 m, international-level mountain runner Yuri Yoshizumi won a fifth-straight women's title. Her time of 3:16:53 was the slowest of her wins by just over a minute but still put her almost 13 minutes ahead of runner-up Rieko Koshi, last year's short course winner making her debut at the longer, tougher distance.
Ryunosuke Omi won the men's summit title in 2:41:31, 5 minutes up on 2nd-placer Taiga Yamaguchi. Defending men's champ Hiroki Kai was only 6th in 2:55:50, with last year's short course runner-up Jumpei Yamaguchi doubling back from a 100 km NR last month at Lake Saroma to take 12th in 3:00:30. Post-race Yamaguchi said, "I think I want to stick to road racing." Two-time winner Shun Gorotani finished far down the field behind Yoshizumi in 3:26:03. Post-race he commented, "That was the best I could do right now."
In the 5th Stage Course, 16 km climbing from 800 m to just past 2200 m, last year's runner-up Remi Tanaka took 1st in the women's race in 1:47:02 instead of moving up in distance. 2022 5th Stage Course men's winner Takuya Saito also held steady in distance, winning again in 1:28:01 almost 7 minutes slower than last year.
76th Fuji Mountain Race
Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, 28 July, 2023
Women's Summit Course
1. Yuri Yoshizumi - 3:16:53
2. Rieko Koshi - 3:29:31
3. Suzuha Kusuda - 3:39:50
4. Ryoko Nihei - 3:42:41
5. Kana Numata - 3:44:52
Men's Summit Course
1. Ryunosuke Omi - 2:41:31
2. Taiga Yamaguchi - 2:46:28
3. Tsubasa Fuji - 2:50:03
4. Kei Kikushima - 2:51:59
5. Tomofumi Miyagawa - 2:54:49
Women's 5th Stage Course
1. Remi Tanaka - 1:47:02
2. Chika Yokota - 1:50:18
3. Mai Fushida - 1:50:21
Men's 5th Stage Course
1. Takuya Saito - 1:28:01
2. Hiro Ishida - 1:28:52
3. Masato Ueda - 1:31:22
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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