Backyard Ultra Last Samurai Standing – Ibaraki

The Backyard Ultra Last Samurai Standing – Ibaraki takes place at Mikage Sports Park in Makabe Town, Sakuragawa City, situated at the base of Kinoko-san in western Ibaraki. The race follows the Backyard Ultra format: participants begin a 6.7 km circuit each hour, with the race continuing as long as they are able to start another lap. This edition presents a challenging course for the format, featuring approximately 330 to 337 meters of elevation gain per lap. It is well-suited for experienced trail runners, while still offering a straightforward, repeatable challenge for both novices and seasoned participants. The organizing group, Hinotoriren, hosts regular monthly group runs on Kinoko-san, and this event originated from an earlier local Ibaraki backyard race held on the same date before its official inclusion in the series. The course begins at Mikage Sports Park, blending trail and road sections. Participants enter the trail shortly after the start, navigating a descent on wooden stairs that resembles single track. This is followed by approximately 1.2 km of road climbing, with varying gradients. Upon reaching the summit, runners touch a pole, descend the road for about 300 meters, then re-enter a roughly 400-meter trail section. This loop is repeated three times before returning to the starting point. The road ascent allows for manageable pacing, enabling some participants to walk the entire climb and still complete the lap within the hour. However, the downhill trail demands careful foot placement. The hourly start structure also influences strategy; finishing too quickly can lead to cooling down during the break, prompting some runners to intentionally maintain a slower pace, aiming for a lap time of 50 to 55 minutes.