"I couldn't have fought Shinetsu alone" - Part 2

RRC member interview

Text: Shun Sato

Shinetsu Gogaku Trail Running Race 2025
Yuna Sugita, 5th place in the 110km women's race

Banff decides the outcome of the race

The Shinetsu Five Mountains race has begun.

The race begins at Restaurant Heidi in Madarao Kogen, passes through Mt. Hakama, Myoko Kogen, around Mt. Kurohime, Sasaga Mine Kogen, Mt. Togakushi, Mt. Riru, and Iizuna Forest Road before finishing at Highland Bowl Iizuna, covering a total of 110km. The time limit is 22 hours, with six aid stations and four assistance points where runners' family and friends can receive support. It's an extremely tough course, with the summit of Mt. Riru at 1,748m awaiting at the end of the 90km mark.

Yuna Sugita thought the first Banff (11km point) was an important point.

"I thought the most important part of this race would be getting to Banff after getting over the first mountain. One of my characteristics is that my heart rate goes up really high on the first climb, and no matter how hard I try, it's tough. I knew that once I got over that point, I could run quite well, so the key was to stay calm up Banff and not get left behind by the people in front of me. In terms of ranking, I was calculating that if I could finish within the top 10, which is the prize-winning line, and in terms of time, I could finish in around 1 hour 35 minutes, I would be able to make a comeback in the second half."

It was raining on the day, and the trail was muddy, so I thought it would be a tough race. In fact, as I started and began to climb, water started flowing down from above, and I got covered in mud. I complained, "I haven't practiced this much (lol)!", but gradually I started to enjoy it.

"I quickly got covered in mud, and as I was running and screaming, I started to have fun. I was the only one making that much noise in the mountains (laughs). A few people passed me along the way, but I was confident that I was having more fun than they were, so before I got to Banff I thought, 'There's no need to rush,' and 'I might just win a prize.'"

Changes to Race Plans

It's only just begun, but with rivals overtaking him and no idea what the future holds, where does he get the positive mindset that gives him confidence that he can do it?

"I never lost sight of my goal of winning, never betrayed my promise to myself to do the necessary training, and never ran away, and I've made it this far. So I think the rest is because I was able to go into the race with a calm mind, knowing that what was going to happen was what was going to happen."

He had been conscious of winning the prize ever since he checked his ranking at the Banff point. At first, he asked everyone not to tell him his ranking, but when he realized he was in good shape, he thought, "I'll aim for this from the start," and checked his ranking, including the gap between him and the people in front and behind him. At Banff, Sugita finished in 5th place with a time of 1 hour 32 minutes 29 seconds, faster than expected, and just 56 seconds behind the leader.

A 48km journey with a pacer

Yoshikawa joined them as a pacer at Sasaga Mine Green House (62km point). At the aid station, they checked their pace per kilometer, the state of their stomachs and intestines, and any areas of pain, such as their legs. Soon after they started together, Sugita told Yoshikawa, "The mountains of Shinetsu are even more beautiful than I imagined. Shinetsu is so much fun."

"Before the race, Kitchi seemed really nervous, so I called out to her. Everyone in the support team had been telling her, 'We're counting on you, Sugi-chan!' (laughs). A while after we started running together, I passed Sato-chan (Tomoko Tanaka) from RETO, who had been training with us for the race, and she said to me, 'Kitchi, we're counting on you, Sugi-chan!' I think she must have been feeling a lot of pressure."

I was able to keep up a good pace from halfway through the race, but about 10 kilometers from Sasaga Mine, I started to feel pain in my right knee. This was my second problem of the race. The first time, I had a hangover on the way from Kurohime to Sasaga Mine, just before Sasaga Mine. Hunger knock is a state of low blood sugar caused by a lack of energy. I had already run out of food, and even ate some soda, but nothing helped. I reached Sasaga Mine feeling dizzy. I had expected something to happen, but the pain in my right knee with 40 kilometers left was unexpected. The pain became increasingly severe, to the point where I couldn't put my feet on the ground. "What should we do?" I asked, and Yoshikawa took out some tape from his backpack. Not having scissors, Yoshikawa bit off the tape with his teeth, quickly applied tape, and administered first aid. From there, I walked without pushing myself too hard until I recovered a little.

"While I was walking, I was thinking back on the six months leading up to this day. I thought about how training was harder, and why I said I was going to win. I thought that if I had just run as a normal runner, I wouldn't have had to suffer so much during training."

Conan and Amane's kindness

During the six months of training when he was burdened with many things, it was Shusho Arimoto and Takahiko Konan who extended a helping hand. Having run together for some time and knowing Sugita's personality well, Arimoto sent him pictures of cats to distract him from his running. Konan repeatedly encouraged him, saying, "You're doing your best, so you'll be fine."

"They've been supporting me all this time, so I definitely want to repay them with results. So even though tomorrow's practice will be tough, I feel like I can do my best."

Never give up until the end

The race entered the nighttime section. Yoshikawa continued to look back and shine his light on Sugita's feet. He carefully lit the light and pulled him along, almost thinking, "It's dangerous, so run forward." Along the way, a fellow runner and pacer in the 100-mile race praised him, saying, "You're such a kind pacer." Sugita replied, "I'm really proud of you as a pacer," and felt a sense of pride.

Yoshikawa contacted the support team while running to check on the ranking and the time difference before and after, so Sugita was able to concentrate on running. He was in 5th place at Sasaga Mine (62km point), but after passing Togakushi Ski Resort (91km), he dropped to 6th place.

However, my RETO coach, Takagi Seiya, had told me, "Never give up until the very end," so I remembered those words and took on the final challenge of Riruyama. My body was in tatters, but my spirit was strong, so I was sure I would overtake them on the mountain and wasn't in a hurry. Just as I predicted, I overtook them on the mountain and returned to Iizuna in 5th place.

A grateful finish

Amid cheers, the two crossed the finish line side by side.
Sugita shared his joy with Yoshikawa by hugging him. Yoshikawa congratulated him with a smile, saying, "Congratulations! You did well!!"

"Kitchie never pushed me until the very end, and kept telling me, 'It's OK,' and 'You're trying your best, you can do it.' I wanted to go faster, but she calmed me down and encouraged me, saying, 'It's OK here, let's walk.' I think it was thanks to Kitchie's kindness and calm judgment that I was able to run to the end. Without it, I probably would have run too hard and collapsed."

The support team that listened to my many selfish requests

He was also deeply grateful to Yoshikawa's pacers and the support team. Sugita asked Iiyama Keiichiro, who takes his regular training seriously, Oyamauchi Maki, who always responds to his unreasonable requests, and Kudo Hitomi, who he trusts immensely for trail support. He said he was impressed by the excellent teamwork between the three, and how their support was improved at each point.

"When I first arrived in Banff, I said in a harsh tone, 'Where's the gel I asked for?' The support team must have thought, 'Oh no! Sugi-chan is getting pretty irritated,' so at the next point, Kurohime, they had prepared what I wanted. However, I had run a long distance, so when I told them I wanted something different, they searched everywhere and panicked a bit. Maybe that's why at Sasaga Mine, the things I had brought for Shinetsu were laid out on the table like a buffet (laughs). I was impressed by how the support team were getting more and more perfect, and from the next point, Togakushi, I had told them in advance what I needed, so they made sure to have everything I needed. I felt really sorry for the support team for having to accommodate so many of my selfish requests, and I was filled with gratitude. I couldn't have finished the race without them. It made me realize once again that the 110km Shinetsu is a team effort."

"Running" added to the three axes

After the race, we took a photo together with Yoshikawa and the support team, which was proof that it was a team race.

This race was the catalyst that led Sugita to add "running" to the three main pillars of his life: Southern All Stars, horse racing, and baseball.

"I've run a lot up until now, but I didn't know what the 'fun of running' meant to me. That's why I wanted to add it to the three pillars of my life. But this time, I took on the challenge of the Shinetsu region in earnest, and I realized that for me, 'enjoying running means taking on challenges.' I was able to see a world I wouldn't have seen if I'd only run on the road, and I was able to understand the feelings of the people who take on these challenges, which broadened the scope of my life. That's something I wouldn't have experienced without RETO. That's why I want RETO to continue like this forever, and I want to continue running with RETO myself."