The Mikata Half Marathon みかた残酷マラソン

Beautiful but difficult

It all starts in the village of Kami, blessed by the gods for its beauty as it is included in the inventory of the most beautiful villages in Japan , in the district of Mikata (Hyôgo prefecture). Surely a very beautiful place, but above all the place of all the physical suffering because the half-marathon which takes place there every year since 1993 is the most difficult of all. For the year 2018, it will be on Sunday June 10 that 3,000 participants, 73% of whom are regulars , will come to measure themselves much more against themselves than against other runners during the Mikata Zankoku. Zankoku means "cruel" , that is to say! A drop of 400 meters to swallow several times during incessant ascents and descents through the very beautiful quasi-national park of Hyônosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan , surrounded by mountains exceeding 1,000 meters. Idyllic scenery for terrible effort, lush forest, terrace cultivation of rice fields, but never flat passage to rest the legs of our athletes.

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The race of a whole community

The interest also lies in the fact that all the inhabitants of the region want to participate in the festival , so the route of the race passes through all the districts of the village of Kami for everyone to benefit from it. The volunteers, from the young people of the village, students, to the elderly lend themselves to the game and strongly encourage each runner, from the first to the last. Many people stretch out their hands in expectation of a friendly pat and to be able to throw a " ganbare " (courage) in return! Musicians are placed along the route to make this race a party. Groups of high school students organize yosakoi dances, as much to entertain as to encourage. The day before the race the party had already started with concerts and a lotto to get in the mood.

On arrival, the welcome of the inhabitants is up to the disproportionate efforts of the runners, warm and tasty because everyone is offered a good meal . The first six are entitled to lots from local production , such as Tajima beef, the regional equivalent of Kobe beef and new rice.