Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji (UTMF) is Japan’s largest trail running event that traces the entire perimeter of Mt. Fuji.
GOLDWIN’s Yuka Maeda cheers the athletes as a member of the UTMF support staff.
“I want to inspire and to be inspired.”
GOLDWIN Inc. (HQ: Shibuya, Tokyo / President: Akio Nishida / First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange: 8111) and The North Face are pleased to announce that they will be special sponsors for the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji (UTMF) and Shizuoka to Yamashina (STY).
In keeping with its slogan, “Sports first,” GOLDWIN is committed to promoting a healthy and fun-filled lifestyle. We believe the UTMF embodies the very principles that the company embraces. More than 70 of GOLDWIN’s employees will join the many on-site support staff who will assist the athletes.
The UTMF support staff is responsible for a wide range of tasks, including road preparation and set-up in mountainous areas; guiding athletes who drop out from the race down the mountain; inspecting rest stations; checking equipment and ensuring sufficient supply of food at aid stations; and setting up finish lines. Most importantly, they support and cheer on the runners.
Yuka Maeda of GOLDWIN’s Danskin Division made a great contribution last year, holding the finish line and giving a warm welcome to the athletes, making rounds to aid stations during the nights, and supporting every runner in every way possible. Yuka will return again this year to contribute her experience as a support staff member. She shared her thoughts on the event.
Q: What made you join the UTMF support staff?
YM: I wasn’t familiar with trail running at all when the company asked for volunteers last year, but I raised my hand anyway. The whole experience inspired me on so many different levels, and that’s why I decided early on to participate again this year. I’m so excited!
In my other life I’m a cheer dancer, and my goal has always been to cheer for and encourage people through my performance. But during the UTMF last year, it turned out that I was the one inspired by the athletes, who were giving all they had to reach the finish line. I was humbled by the power of human will. I am looking forward to being inspired again this year.
Q: Tell us about your experience of working as support staff last year.
YM: Last year in 2012 I was in charge of holding the tape at the finish line and giving out runners’ vests at Lake Kawaguchi. After running 160 km, some athletes were literally covered in blood from cuts and bruises, but they kept running to the end. I was so moved by their dedication—seeing each one of them cross the finish line brought tears to my eyes. The challenge of running a marathon with nothing but yourself to depend on is beyond my imagination. But from my experience as a dancer, I could relate to the exhilaration of completing something after working long and hard, and saying to yourself, “I DID IT!”
I also worked at the aid station in the Lake Motosu Sports Center, screaming my lungs out to cheer on the athletes. Some runners later told me that my voice reached all the way to the top of the mountain and they felt encouraged by it. Seeing the athletes rise to the challenge, I couldn’t help but to cheer them on. Whatever tasks I will be assigned to this year, my goal will stay the same: to support and encourage the athletes.
Q: Tell us about your day-to-day activities, your work and hobbies, for example.
YM: At work I have a wide range of responsibilities relating to sales and promotion, including preparing various press and advertising materials, promotional activities for our contract instructors, developing illustration books and catalogs for exhibitions, and website development. On most weekends I practice dancing, sometimes up to 9 straight hours before competitions. Other than dancing, I joined GOLDWIN’s Mountain Club after being so inspired by the UTMF last year, and have been trying mountain climbing, trail running, bouldering, and ice climbing.
Q: What messages or words of encouragement would you like to give to people trying out mountain sports like climbing and trail running?
YM: I believe that having fun is the most important part of playing any type of sport, and I would encourage everyone to do the same. For those challenging themselves on the mountains, I hope they can experience the power of nature. Enjoy the scenery, breathe in the air, and soak up the sun. Let nature power you up! No words can describe the experience of the beauty of mountains. I look forward to seeing you all at the finish line!!
Yuka Maeda
Marketing Team
Danskin Division
Trail running is a sport that consists of running on unpaved roads in forests or mountainous terrain. The goal of the UTMF is to promote awareness of the importance of preserving, loving, and respecting nature through the outdoor sport of trail running.
■ ULTRA-TRAIL MT. FUJI Event Overview
・Race Organizer Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji Race Committee
・Special Sponsors GOLDWIN INC. (THE NORTH FACE), W.L. Gore & Associates
・Race Dates Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, 2013 (3 days)
・UTMF (Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji)
Number of Participants 1,074 (207 from overseas)
Distance: 161 km / Cumulative altitude gain: 9,164 m
Time limit: 46 hrs
Start/Finish: Yagisaki Koen (Park), Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture
Starts on Friday, April 26 at 15:00
・STY (Shizuoka to Yamanashi)
Number of Participants 1,053 (62 from overseas)
Distance: 84.7 km / Cumulative altitude gain: 4,860 m
Time limit: 24 hrs
Start: Mount Fuji Kodomo-no-Kuni, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Finish: Yagisaki Koen (Park), Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture
Starts on Friday, April 26 at 13:00
*THE NORTH FACE Website https://www.goldwin.co.jp/tnf/
*UTMF Official Website http://www.ultratrailmtfuji.com/