About this race
Zensozan Trail Running & Meditation begins before dawn at Jomantsuji Temple in Kaiyo Town, Tokushima Prefecture, the oldest Zen temple in Shikoku. This event, held annually in November, centers on a six-hour endurance run and Zen Buddhist practice, diverging from a typical finish-line race.
Attendees engage in zazen meditation, gyoju eating meditation, and sutra chanting before proceeding at their own pace on mountain trails near the temple. These mountains, known as Zensozan, were once used by monks for running and training, and the event aims to echo that tradition. The run welcomes beginners, seasoned trail runners, and those preferring a steady pace, as the focus is on consistent movement rather than speed.
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