DTJ 2025
15k/40k/60k course map
Introduction video
40km（middle）
distance: 39.9km / elevation gain: about 2090ｍ / trail rate 90.5%
start: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
finish: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
time limit：11hrs（7:00 – 18:00）
number of aid stations: 3
number of perticipants: 200(solo) / 50pairs(pair)
ITRA point: 2 (solo / pair)
※ The pair finishers will also be eligible for ITRA 2 points.
The 40km course is the main event of this competition.
Starting from the former Kita-taisetsu skiing ground, you will head towards CP2 Hirayama Trailhead via a road with ups and downs and a forest road. The forest road is wide and the surface is easy to run on. The slope becomes steeper in the 3km section just before CP2, and you will really feel like you are getting closer to the mountain. CP2 is about halfway through the course, but this is where the real competition begins. CP2 Hirayama trailhead is the gate at the entrance to the Daisetsuzan National Park. Welcome to Daisetsuzan!
After the forest road for the first half, the trail becomes a steep singletrack. Once you reach the ridge line, the scenery changes completely. From CP3 Hirayama Junction (1737m), you can see a 360-degree view of the sky-high ridge, with mountains stretching out in the distance. It is said that the ridge line in Hokkaido, which rises above 1700m, is comparable to the harsh natural environment of the 3000m peaks of Mainland Japan (Honshu), and if you look down at your feet as you make your way through the Japanese stone pine, you will see alpine plants such as the alpine rosette blooming in profusion.
After passing the highest point of the trail, Himana-yama (1811m), and crossing Himara-yama (1755m), you enter a single track trail deep in the forest. You then pass the CP4 Ninosawa Ridge to the final summit, Ariake-yama (1635m) – Tengu-dake (1553m). The steep climb in the second half of the trek is quite hard on the body, but this is where you have to dig in. After passing Tengu-dake, the trail continues up and down to the old lift station of the Kita-taisetsu skiing ground. The last 4km is a rocky, stony descent with views of Tengu-daira on the way to the finish.
In addition to solo entries as in previous years, the 2025 event will also feature a 40K Pair category for pairs (regardless of gender) to complete the 40K course together. Both members of the pair must check in at the same time at each checkpoint. If you are aiming for the podium, a male pair with high running ability will have an advantage, but if you are worried about completing the 40km course alone, you can have a partner with good physical strength and running ability carry your equipment and run with you as a supporter.
60km（long）
distance: 59.3km / elevation gain: about 3185ｍ / trail rate 91.7%
start: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
finish: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
time limit：14hrs（4:00 – 18:00）
number of aid stations: 4
number of perticipants: 200(solo)
ITRA point: 3 (only for solo perticipants)
The 60km course is a course with a cumulative elevation gain of about 3200m, designed for experienced trail runners. It is a tough course that climbs Ariakeyama-Tengudake twice, on the way there and back, which is in the way in the second half of the 40km course.
Starting early in the morning when the sun is still soft, you will first ride around Tengu-daira, which is usually shrouded in morning mist, for about 15km. The first half of the ride is downhill and the second half is uphill, but the grades are relatively gentle. You may feel like going fast, but remember that the course is long and you are still warming up.
After resting at the A1 Race Headquarters, continue up the old Kita-taisetsu Ski Resort service road and enter the real trail. The old ski slope is steep and overgrown. Once you reach the top, you’ll transition from the man-made ski resort into the natural beauty of the Daisetsu range. You can continue your peak hunt to Ariake-yama (1635m) via Tengu-dake (1553m).
After crossing Ariake-yama, you’ll descend and enter a deep forest. Depending on the weather, you may encounter mud and wet bamboo. From the middle of the Ninosawa Ridge, turn left and descend toward the Ninosawa Forest Road. After quenching your thirst at the WS end of the Ninosawa Forest Road, head toward the A2 Ninosawa Forest Road junction on a 10km descent along the forest road. You’ll join the 40K course and follow the same route to the CP2 Hirayama Trailhead. What’s the main difference? Your legs are probably tired from the distance and ups and downs.
Now there are only 25km left and the real race begins!
There’s still a long way to go, so you’ll have to be careful with your nutrition and pace…
60km pair relay
*February 25, 2025: The relay point has been changed. This is the final plan.
distance:
(1st leg) 34.8km – elevation gain 1542m / trail rate 85.6%
(2nd leg) 24.5km – elevation gain 1643m / trail rate 100%
start: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
relay point: A2 Nino-sawa forestry road junctional aid
finish: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
time limit：14hrs (4:00 – 18:00)
number of aid stations: 2 / 2 (In both halves, one of the two aids is a water station)
number of perticipants: 20pairs
ITRA point: –
The race is divided into two 60 km courses, and the relay will be held at the end of the 35 km A2 Ninosawa Forestry Road junction aid.
The first section starts at Tengu-daira in the morning.
Racers will climb the ski resort and cross Tengu-dake and Ariake-yama to the A2 Ninosawa Forest Road junction.
The second section starts at the relay point and the runners will follow the ridge line from the Hirayama Trail as in the 40K course to cross over Ariake-yama and Tengu-dake and head toward the finish line.
The first section is 35km long, with an elevation gain of about 1550m, so it’s quite long, but the steep inclines are concentrated in the middle section, which is about 6km long. The first 15km are a gentle up and down, and the final 14km are downhill. The first section does not include the Hirayama Ridge, which is part of the Daisetsuzan National Park, but you can enjoy the scenery of Tengu-daira, which is shrouded in morning mist, the steep rocky slopes of the Japanese stone pine zone, the 360-degree view from the peaks of Tengu and Ariake mountains in the middle of the course, and the single track through the virgin forest.
The second section is 25km long with a 1643m elevation gain, which is 10km shorter than the first section, but there are no flat sections. There is a series of climbs immediately after the relay, and you will feel the gradient getting steeper as you go. This section includes the two mountain areas, the Hirayama Ridge and the Tengu-Ariake area. The course, which offers a rich variety of Daisetsuzan’s nature, continues all the way to the finish line, so you will never get bored. It is actually quite a luxury to be able to run a 25km course when you would normally have to participate in a 40km or longer course.
15km（short）
distance: 14.3km / elevation gain: about 361ｍ / trail rate 65.7%
start: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
finish: Kita-Taisetsu Skiing Ground
time limit：3hrs – (9:00 – 12:00)
number of aid stations: 0
number of perticipants: 100
ITRA point: –
Unlike the 60K and 40K courses, the 15K takes you on gentle, open, easy trails that don’t include narrow singletrack or mountainous sections. The trails are made up of forest and farm roads, and the grades are gentle, with about 34% of the course on roads, making it suitable for trail running beginners. You won’t feel too uncomfortable running the course in road shoes. There are no elevated views, but it feels good to run across the Tengu-daira plain with the high mountains in the distance.
This is a 15km course that can be easily enjoyed by those who have only run on roads, or who are a little afraid of running on trails alone, or who think that mountain trails are too difficult for them.
Why not start by experiencing the joy of running on uneven ground?