This year I have the privilege of guiding the Trail Run Adventures (TRA) Japan trip in August. I'm excited, but also feel a little pressure; I have HUGE shoes to fill, as the trip has been led by legendary American ultrarunner Rickey Gates and his good friend and fellow Oklahoman Ron "Braz" Braselton in past years. Ron is the cofounder of TRA, along with his wife, another running icon, Anna Frost.
Japan is almost completely overlooked as a mountain running destination, and to my knowledge, the only company offering an organized running tour in the Japanese Alps (and up Mt. Fuji) is Trail Run Adventures. Chalk this up to serendipity. Or, as we say in Japan, 運命 (unmei). Japan first fell on Rickey and Anna's radar because of this amazing Salomon video.
You see, Rickey and Anna are Salomon-sponsored athletes and came to Japan to film this video some years back. The trails they ran for this project must have left an impression because they are some of the same trails they built their trip around and the ones that I will be guiding for them this summer. They also happen to be my local stomping grounds. ;) If you haven't seen this video, give it a watch. It's a charming mix of thoughtful words and epic mountain scenery, and if you like what you're hearing or seeing, reach out to TRA or directly to me to see if we can help you smash these epic trails and have your own once-in-a-lifetime Nihon experience!
*Don't forget to turn on the English subtitles.