‘Go Asia Trail’, a Blog About the Trail Running Scene in Asia

This came across my radar and is worth sharing: ‘Go Asia Trail‘ is a Japanese blog, written by Kenji Tsutsumi. Kenji is taking a look at the trail and mountain running scene, from an Asian perspective. The articles are written in Japanese, but the auto-translation tools in your browser get you get gist of the articles (and yes, these browser translation tools are a form of AI too, I know, I know).

Kenji writes in a recent “weekly summary post”:

Trail running is no longer just a “weekend mountain climbing run” and has evolved into a unique cultural ecosystem where travel, gear, science, and community are intricately intertwined. Now that it is easier to cross borders and go back and forth on each other’s trails, I realize that the whole of Asia has become one big playground.

And in “Summary of all results of UTMB 2026” from early September Kenji ponders the fascinating question:

Why can’t Japanese trail running fight the world?

And considers the cultural and structural challenges Japanese athletes face in order to compete on the highest level:

The biggest difference between Japanese professional trail runners and overseas professionals is the contract structure.

And:

The problem is that there is no “system for nurturing talent to world standards” in Japan.

We often complain that our sport’s media coverage is too U.S. centric and we’re wishing for different perspectives and voices from other parts of the world. ‘Go Asia Trail’ by Kenji Tsutsumi wants to fill that void offering a unique take on the sport with a Japanese perspective and offering insight and opinion into a world rarely covered by the main voices in our sport.