GO ASIA TRAIL 
If you are a trail runner in Japan, you may have once wondered why there is no by UTMB race in Japan. The following races in Asia near Japan have already been designated as by UTMB (as of March 2023).
- Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
- TransLantau by UTMB (Hong Kong)
- TransJeju by UTMB (Jeju, Korea)
- Amazean Jungle Thailand by UTMB (Beton, Thailand)
- Ultra Trail Ninghai by UTMB (Ninghai, China)
The two races in Thailand are organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, TransLantau and TransJeju are run by a French couple based in Hong Kong, and China's Ultra Trail Ninghai, which recently became the by UTMB, is run by Skyview, a sports event organizer based in Shanghai. The Chinese Ultra Trail Ninghai, which recently became a by UTMB, is run by a Shanghai-based sports event organizer called Skyview.
The reason why there is still no by UTMB event in Japan is due to two major problems, although there have been many rumors.
- (1) Trademark problem
- Payment of the affiliation fee/payment to become a by UTMB
This article is a discussion and summary of why there is no by UTMB race in Japan, based on information circulating around the world. Unfortunately, it has not been corroborated at all, so please read it as if it has little credibility.
Trademark Issue (ULTRA-TRAIL®)
Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji (hereinafter referred to as "UTMF"), originally a sister race of UTMB, is not a by UTMB event, even though it will be held in April 2023. It is rumored to be the most likely Japanese trail running race to be named "by UTMB," but due to a trademark dispute, it has not been named "by UTMB" at this time.
The ULTRA-TRAIL® trademark is held by the UTMB Group worldwide, and was filed in Japan in September 2012 and registered in November 2013. Before that, however, the NPO Fuji Trail Runners Club, which organizes the UTMF, had already obtained the trademark for Ultra-Trail Mt. Last year, the UTMB Group filed a trademark objection, which apparently caused some trouble. This is said to be the reason why its sister race, UTMF, has not yet become by UTMB.
Eventually, on January 6, 2023, the name of the 100-mile category was changed from UTMF to FUJI, which seems to have solved the problem (?). This seems to have solved the problem. There are rumors that UTMF will soon be renamed to UTMB after next year (I don't know).
The problem of high license fees
Another problem that I often hear about is the "too high license fee," which is either a membership fee or a license fee, in order to hold an event bearing the "by UTMB" title. Although specific amounts (tens to nearly 100 million yen) have been circulated in articles on the Internet and on Twitter, I think that these types of money matters should be kept at the level of rumors, as they are often not disclosed in the contract.
However, it is unlikely to get the name of by UTMB for free. To pay this top-up money, support from a large corporate sponsor is necessary. In Japan, investment and support for sporting events and athletes, not limited to trail running, are not as strong as in Europe, the U.S., or China. In both soccer and baseball, there are sponsors, but they are weak compared to professional soccer leagues in Europe and Major League Baseball in the United States.
In the case of the UTMF, the trademark issue has probably already been resolved, so all that remains is the money issue in this area. In the case of Thailand, the money issue does not seem to be a problem since it is sponsored by the state. In the case of other countries such as Hong Kong, Korea, and China, I am not sure how these issues were cleared up.
In addition to the "trademark issue" and the "payment of premiums," it seems that the number of participants in the race, the operational structure, and the financial situation of the organizer are all decided in great detail. It seems that the operational structure must be as good as that of urban marathons such as the Tokyo Marathon and the Osaka Marathon. This means that the current management system will be difficult to maintain, and support from the national government will be necessary, and the involvement of major advertising agencies will also be necessary to establish a large-scale management system.
I personally feel that it is necessary to have not only 100km and 100 mile races, but also shorter races such as 50km and 25km races. In order to attract a large number of runners, a 50km race is the easiest way to attract people. I think it would be possible to hold a race in Shinetsu Gogaku (信越五岳) by integrating it with the Motto Forest Trail.
Only the Western States Endurance Run in the U.S. is only 100 km, but this event is a "UTMB World Sereis Events" race even though it is not included in the by UTMB, so it is probably treated as a special event.
By UTMB is not the only trail running event.
I myself think it would be good if there was at least one race in Japan that bears the "by UTMB" title. However, "by UTMB" is not necessarily the only justification.
UTMB World Series Events is just one of the leagues of trail running in the world. There is also the Golen Trail Series organized by Salomon and the Asia Trail Master, which is limited to Asia. However, UTMB World Series Events is arguably the world's largest trekking race series, as UTMB is the reigning world's highest peak race.
Also, when I run races in Asia, I hear "UTMF" when I think of Japan. The UTMF has a history of more than 10 years, and it is certainly one of the most famous trail running races in Asia. After all, being able to run around Japan's representative mountain "Mt. Fuji" must be very attractive to trail runners from overseas. I also ran the STY in 2014 and was impressed by the ethereal beauty of Mt.
I think it is possible to operate independently as it is now, or to join a league other than by UTMB and compete with UTMB World Series Events to boost trail running.
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