From Base to Fifth: Racing the Slopes of Mount Fuji

This was not a sightseeing trip. The 2nd Mount Fuji Base to Fifth Station Race was a brutal test of endurance that climbed straight into thin air and demanded respect from the first step.

Racing ready

Getting to Fuji and Race Check-In

Just like the other times I've been down to Mount Fuji, I caught the highway bus from Shinjuku, which drops you at Fujisan Station in Yamanashi. The trip only takes a couple of hours, so I left mid-morning and arrived around lunchtime.

Bus ticket in question.

After grabbing a small lunch at the station, I walked down the road to the accomodation - Nakafuji. Honestly what a fantastic stay!

Nakafuji is a brand-new, automated apartment-style hotel in Yamanashi. It's super clean, tidy, and thoughtfully set up, with everything you need for a comfortable stay before or after a Mt Fuji climb/hike!

Lol

After checking-in and dropping my bags, I needed to check-in for the next days race and collect my racing bib.

With no transport of my own I decided /had to walk. Although it was a long 12kms, and maybe not the right thing to do considering the next day, the sunset I saw in the afternoon was just gorgeous :)

Can you hear the 5pm music playing in the background?

I walked back down to town and had dinner at the same local Japanese diner I had eaten at the month previously. Nothing beats simple, tasty, Japanese food :)

After that, it was an early night and time to start mentally preparing for the battle ahead.

Race Morning and the Start Line

Race morning came quickly. I woke up feeling fresh and followed my usual race-day nutrition routine. The night before I had made sure to hydrate properly with electrolytes. Even though it's September, it's still EXTREMELY hot and humid, and I knew I would be sweating heavily for what could be close to two hours of continuous climbing. So, I made sure to prepare accordingly.

Breakfast was simple, two onigiris and a banana, with steady hydration again through the early morning. After checking out, I walked to Fujisan Station and took the shuttle bus to the race start area.

The starting point of the Mount Fuji race was at Mt Fuji Springs Stadium. There were a few thousand people already there, far more than I had expected.

I was told around 2,000 competitors had signed up, and the scale of the event really hit me once I arrived.

Once I checked my bib and start details, I found out I was in the 20th wave out of 20. Not ideal from a racing perspective, but with five minutes between each wave, there was still enough space to move forward once the race began. I stayed relaxed, warmed-up, and waited for my turn to start.

Man's ready

Since I had some time, I watched the first waves leave around 9am :)

Start of the 2nd wave!

The Climb Begins

Once the gun went off, I made the most of the opening kilometres. The first two kms were mostly flat as we exited the sporting grounds, so I ran hard early before the real climbing began.

The race is about 12 kms in total, with the next 5kms steadily climbing on the road.

Running on the road made a big difference. It was smooth and wide, so I committed to running with everything I could, without backing off. I knew the later trail section would force some slowing, so I focused on banking as much running as possible while I could.

Check out this elevation over time graph lol.

The Mental Battle on the Yoshida Trail

From around the 7 km mark, the race left the road and moved onto the Mount Fuji Yoshida hiking trail. This is where the stopping and starting began.

Yoshida Trail, pic taken in July of 2025.

Because I had started at the very back, there were people ahead of me who were walking, and due to the single-file nature of the trail, we were all often forced to slow down.

I stayed patient, pushing where I could and overtaking politely when space opened up. Everyone around me was breathing heavily, everyone was working hard, and everyone was clearly giving their best. I loved being out there with all of them. We were all there by choice, and no matter how fast or slow, how experienced or inexperienced, we were all climbing the same mountain together.

Over these final five kms, the race stopped being physical and became entirely mental. Every stride came with a voice telling me to slow down, to walk, to stop and breathe, or to ease off because of the heat and dehydration. But every excuse that appeared was also an opportunity to make a choice. Over the past few months, I had committed to pushing myself when things became uncomfortable, and this race was no different. I knew this trail well. I had hiked it in July with my sister and ran it in August with my friend Yuuta. I knew exactly how unrelenting the incline would be. I told myself I would only walk when absolutely forced to, and run every other chance I got. Time to lock in.

The Finish Line and What Fuji Taught Me

With about 500 metres to go, the course returned to the road. My legs were completely spent, so I pumped my arms as hard and fast as I could to carry myself to the line.

I crossed in 85 minutes, a result that genuinely surprised me. Finishing under 90 minutes is considered very strong in this race, and I had not realised just how fit I was. More than the time itself, I was proud that I had not given in to the excuses or backed off when it got hard.

Bitta vlogging lol.

After crossing the line, I took a moment to gather myself, but overall I felt good. It was a hard race, but not a long one. I collected my drop bag, which, as always in Japan, was handled flawlessly, and ate a banana and a chocolate bar. A cheeky Snickers after a big race has become a bit of a ritual for me.

I then caught the bus back down to the start area and checked the official results. 85 minutes 23 seconds, 36th overall out of 1,670 competitors. I was surprised and happy. In the back of my mind I made a mental note that carbon-plated road racing shoes were probably unnecessary, and starting at the back of the field will need to change. Regardless, what a result!

To celebrate, I met up with a couple of the crew from Namban Rengo who had also competed. I grabbed a cheeky burger and a smoothie before bundling inot one of the boys cars and heading home. I was exhausted, but deeply satisfied.

The entire weekend came together. The food, the accommodation, the preparation, and the race execution all clicked. More than anything, the race reinforced something important. When things get tough, my mind holds steady.

If I continue training the way I am, I know I can keep improving in the trail running scene here in Japan.

I am already looking forward to coming back next year, starting closer to the front, wearing the right shoes, and racing Mount Fuji even faster.

My Strava flyover of the race!