Race Coverage

Arigato & Ganbanhte...

Friday, 13 October 2023 00:10

By Tim Bontrager

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend the summer/fall of 2022 in Japan and do a few triathlons. I’ve got a pair of races that I think should be on every triathlete’s short list of “destination races”. If anyone has questions about scheduling a trip, or questions about racing in Japan please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to assist. \

Lake Nojiriko Triathlon – Olympic Distance

Have you ever wanted to do switchbacks on a bike? What about on the run? Set in a national park in Lake Nojiri on the outskirts of Nagano, the Lake Nojiriko triathlon offers a challenging Olympic distance course with a small-town feel. Bring a road bike and get ready to do some punchy climbs and technical descents!  Signup: http://nojiriko-triathlon.com/, signup is only available in Japanese. I used Google Translate and was able to figure it out.

How to access: Fly into Tokyo. If you are planning on exploring the country while you’re there, I would ship your bike to the race using a takkyubin service (Sagawa will for sure take bikes, the other services might not). Then, you can take a train/bus to Nojiri, or you could train to Nagano and then rent a car for the rest of your time. Alternatively, you could rent a car in Tokyo and drive the 3.5 hours to Nojiri....

Where to stay: I had great luck staying at the bed and breakfast Fuyoso, located at 42-5 Nojiri Rd. The owner only rents out rooms to triathletes for the weekend of the race, so you will have to send him an email before you get a room (Google Translate will again be your friend). Expect a Japanese style room with large traditional Japanese meals provided for breakfast and dinner. As an added perk, the property is the swim start/finish, so you are literally steps from transition when you wake up!

Swim: The swim is a two-lap swim with good water clarity, taking you out towards a Shinto shrine on an island in the lake. Expect a large mass-start wave with some physical swimming if you are near the front of the pack. There are plenty of lifeguards and support staff.

Bike: The course is a 3-lap, 1-lane road through the forest around the lake. With incredible overlooks and dense forest, there is a lot to look at during the 9-mile lap. Practice your cornering skills as there are several tricky hair-pin descents. Fortunately, the course is closed to cars. Every lap takes you through the town of Nojiri, where it feels like every person in the town is out cheering.
Run: The challenging 7 mile out-and-back run starts with a flat section through town and along the lake before turning into the woods and running up and over the ridge that separates the lake from Nagano. At the top of the ridge, participants cross the bike course on a steep pedestrian bridge lovingly called “The Heartbreaker”. The course then drops you down the other side of the ridge before turning around and returning to the finish. While the start and turnaround portions of the course are exposed, the climb is in the shade.

Hokkaido Triathlon: Half iron (+ some) distance.

Do you like volcanos? How about incredible scenery? In this race, participants swim in a volcanic crater, then bike past an active volcano, along a Mt. Fuji look-alike, then return to run along volcanic crater walls. After the race, expect to enjoy a bath in hot springs and watch nightly fireworks. This race was the friendliest race for non-Japanese speakers that I did. The MC stood up on race morning, apologized for their bad English, and then proceeded to flawlessly direct racers, and commentate, in English and Japanese for the next 12 hours. Signup: https://hokkaido-triathlon.jp/: Signups are available in English.

How to access: Fly into Sapporo at New Chitose Airport. Once there, I would recommend renting a car and driving to Toya Onsen. You can also ship your bike to the hotel and then take a train out of Tokyo as Toya is very close to the northern end of the bullet train line.

Where to stay: Any of the hotels in town will be fine but look for one with a hot-spring bath if you want to try out that piece of Japanese culture. If not, most hotels will let you into their baths for a small fee. We had good luck finding a super cheap AirBNB a block from transition.

Swim: (2km) The swim takes place in Lake Toya, which formed when an ancient volcano exploded and the crater filled with water. The water clarity is exceptionally good, with a blue tint from the volcanic residue. The lake is populated by volcanic islands, and there are beautiful mountains in the background.

Bike: (138km) This is the greatest bike course I’ve ever done. The lollipop bike takes participants around the relatively flat Lake Toya before climbing out of the crater and delivering you onto a mix of farmland and forests broken up by river gorges and the shoulders of small mountains. As you bike out of the crater, you’ll immediately notice Mt. Yotei in the distance. Called “Hokkaido’s Fuji”, the stratavolcano will be your constant companion for the entire race. After reaching Mt. Yotei (via a shoulder of Mt. Shiribetsu), you bike through more flowering farmland before returning to Lake Toya.

It is obvious that the course designer knows the area well. Every mile is beautiful, on good quality roads, and has minimal vehicle traffic. There are volunteers at every turn and signage is in both English and Japanese. With 4 bigger climbs, the course is punishing enough to separate competitors, but there is also enough recovery in between that I would happily recommend the course to less competitive individuals who are planning to make a day out of the event.

Run: (23.1km) The run is a 2-lap lollipop out and back course that takes you along the edge of the lake on a closed road. As you run, you’ll be able to see a volcanic research station, as well as the volcano walls that formed before the collapse of the ancient volcano. Most of the run is very flat, but there is 1 gentle hill to run up before reaching the main body of the run course. The course is 50% sun, 50% shade.

Tips and Tricks:
Triathlon in Japan is close enough to triathlon in America that you will be able to figure it out as you go. With that being said, it’s good to be aware of a few things beforehand so you can enjoy your time at the race and be a better ambassador for American triathlon.

1. If you want to rent a car in Japan you’ll need an International Driver’s License. These can be issued by AAA for a small fee. You cannot get this license once you are in Japan!
2. COVID is still on people’s minds in Japan. You should expect to wear a mask at all race functions, inside and outside (but not during the race itself). Also, you should expect to record your daily temperature/symptoms on forms that the race will provide for 2 weeks before the race.
3. The only major triathlon rule difference is that race numbers are required to be worn on your back during the bike. Bring a race belt, put the number on it, put it on your back during T1, and then rotate it around to your front during T2.
4. Not confident in your Japanese? You can get far on race day with just “Arigato” (Thank You) and “Ganbahte” -Roughly: Do your best). Ganbahte is a cultural touchstone in Japan and can be used before the race for wishing luck, or during the race for encouragement. Even if you misuse it, people will appreciate the effort.