Feb. 2026 The New Yoshida Times "100 Miles"

Good morning/evening everyone. This is Yoshida from milestone .

Last time, I wrote about the activities I have been involved in since my student days. What did you think?

I would be very happy if you could enjoy it even a little, and if you haven't already, I would be happy if you would click on the image below and take a quick look to kill time.

Well, this time I would like to write about my history with trail running, but basically I like long-distance trail running.

I particularly like the 100-mile race. The reason is that, although running 100 miles (160km) through the mountains may seem like an incredible feat at first glance, a distance that most people would never be able to achieve, I think what's appealing about it is that anyone can do it if they practice properly for a certain period of time, and it gives them an incredible sense of accomplishment.

If you're thinking, "No way, no way, that's impossible. 100-miler racers are so far above the clouds and are obviously just a bunch of perverts," then I urge you to give it a try, even if it's just for a year. I guarantee it will change your life.

Since I started trail running in 2017, I've counted 12 100-mile runs in total.

In order of success, Kuhoji 100 (voluntary, 2018), Gorilla 24 Hours (2019), TDT100 (2019 and 2022), OSJ KOUMI 100 (2020), SUDT (2020), UTMF (2022), Cher 100 (2022), Shinetsu Gogake Trail Running Race (160km, 2023), H3 (2024), Sengenyama 100 (2024), Sainokuni 100mile (2025).

With the exception of 2021, when even races and events were canceled due to COVID-19, I have run 100 miles every year since 2018.

Among them, this time I would like to write in detail about the 100 Mile, which was an early turning point for me.

First of all, when I started trail running, I soon came to the conclusion that I would run while listening to podcasts.

I can just picture everyone nodding along (laughs). Nowadays, "100miles 100times" is the go-to 100-mile podcast, but it has had an enthusiastic following since back then, and I too used to look forward to the new episodes being released.

So when I heard my respected runner, Tomokazu Ihara, also known as Tomo-san, say, "Anyone can run 100 miles if they put in the effort," I wondered if that was really true, and so I decided to take on the challenge of the "Kuhoji 100," a voluntary 100-mile race consisting of 111 laps of a 1,450m track in a nearby park.

Before the start. With Tate-chan , my partner since I started trail running.

So I actually ran 160km, and boy did I manage to do it! (Though it took me 29 hours with zero cumulative time, haha)

My ankle was completely swollen and it was difficult for me to walk for a while, but at the same time I was filled with an incredible sense of accomplishment and joy like I had never felt before in my life.

At the invitation of Clearan , a doctor and trail runner who came to support me at the time, I went to provide "Naniwa Aid" for the first time in 2018 at the TDT100, organized by Tate-chan, Zunko-san and Tomo-san.

I applied for a spot on the podcast at that time, and won the lottery as a recommendation from Tomo, so in 2019 my dream came true and I was able to run.

Naniwa Aid in its early days. Clean is on the left.

At the 2019 TDT100, I was introduced to Emma , ​​who would become my trail running mentor, and she served as my pacer through Clearan's introduction.

The course was about 120km on roads, with the remainder being trails, and had a time limit of 24 hours (at the time), making it quite a tough course.

Even with exhausted legs, I had to run to the end to make it, so I was nervous until I could see the great torii gate at Haneda, the finish line.However, Emma led me with just the right amount of strictness, kindness, and reassurance, and I learned the true essence of being a pacer.

I received the buckle at the large torii gate at the finish line and Tomo carried me like a princess!

Since then, I have participated in the TDT100 in some way every year, as a pacer in 2020 and 2021, and again as a runner in 2022.In all other years, I have driven to the site to help run Naniwa Aid.

And it was at this TDT100 that I met Mr. Nishioka of milestone.

We had never met before, and when we both joined as pacers in 2020, we met again in Osaka a week later, hit it off, and it wasn't long before we started training together and going out to the mountains.

Tomo explained to me the philosophy behind the TDT100: "It's not a 100-mile race, it's a 100-mile ride together."

As I ran alongside other runners from all over the country, I had the opportunity to interact with many of them, and in addition to Nishioka, I made many friends that I still have today.

I learned a lot about the mindset and attitude required to engage in the activity of trail running, and this became the starting point for my own trail running.

Thank you for joining me this long talk about my initial impulses in the 100-mile race. Next time, I'd like to move away from the activity and talk about something completely different.

We would be extremely grateful if you could send us any messages you have, such as your thoughts, opinions, or topics you would like us to cover.

See you next month, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.