Iiyama, Japan · Trail
Official site ↗Shinetsu Five Mountains Trail Running Race
Japan's own 100-miler, point to point across the Shinetsu highlands from Madarao to Iizuna: 163 km with about 7,100 m of climbing and a 33-hour limit.
Distances
100 Mile
- Distance
- 163 km (101 mi)
- Vert gain
- 7,100 m (23,300 ft)
- Start
- 6:30 PM GMT+9
- Cutoff
- 33 hr
WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-33:00)
110 Km
- Distance
- 112 km (70 mi)
- Vert gain
- 4,900 m (16,100 ft)
- Start
- 5:30 AM GMT+9
- Cutoff
- 22 hr
WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-22:00)
| Distance | Vert gain | Start | Cutoff | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 163 km (101 mi) | 7,100 m (23,300 ft) | 6:30 PM GMT+9 | 33 hr | WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-33:00) |
| 112 km (70 mi) | 4,900 m (16,100 ft) | 5:30 AM GMT+9 | 22 hr | WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-22:00) |
About
The Shinetsu Five Mountains Trail Running Race runs across the Shinetsu Kogen highlands on the Niigata and Nagano border, over a 100-mile course of 163 km and a 110 km course of 112 km. Both start at Madarao Kogen and finish at Iizuna, and both are point to point, roughly 90 percent on trail.
A finish counts as a Western States 100 qualifier on either distance, at the race's own limits of 33 and 22 hours. The race is small for overseas runners by design: 20 places in total are held across both distances for entries through the RUN Japan site, and every runner, foreign or Japanese, has to stay in accommodation the race arranges.
Course
Both races run from Madarao Kogen in Iiyama to Iizuna, taking in the five mountains the race is named for. The 100 mile passes five checkpoints and nine aid stations, the 110 km three and six, and both close at the same moment: 3:30 a.m. on the Wednesday. A checkpoint's leaving time is its cutoff plus 15 minutes.
Two rules make this race unusual for its distance. Poles of any kind are banned on the whole course, and a bear bell is mandatory kit, along with a poison remover and a personal cup. For 2026 the finish moves to Iizuna Resort Plaza Aurora because the old finish car park is becoming a football pitch, and the course reverts to its normal line after a suspension bridge damaged by snow forced a detour in 2025.
How to register
Entry is first come, first served rather than a lottery, but through two separate channels with different windows and different fees. Japanese residents enter on RUNNET in April; overseas runners enter through RUN Japan, competing for 20 places across both races. The 100 mile also carries a gate that the organiser checks on every entry: a finish inside the cutoff at a trail race of 100 km or more in the previous three years, with road ultras and stage races excluded. Accommodation booked through the race is compulsory, one night for the 100 mile and two for the 110 km.