Hiroshima Trail 50K Race Review: Inside Japan’s Newest UTMB World Series Event
In April 2026, I travelled from Tokyo to race the Hiroshima Trail 50K, my first ultra trail race. I finished 4th overall in 6 hours and 42 minutes, but the result was only part of what made the weekend memorable.
Hiroshima probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of trail running in Japan, but the mountains start surprisingly close to the city. The course combines steep climbs, technical descents and views across Hiroshima Bay and the Seto Inland Sea, all within easy reach of central Hiroshima.
At the time, it felt like a race with a lot of potential. A few months later came the announcement that Hiroshima Trail would join the UTMB World Series in 2027 as Hiroshima Ultra-Trail by UTMB®.
Having raced it, I can see why.
Travelling From Tokyo to Race in Hiroshima
Hiroshima’s easy to reach from Tokyo, with the Shinkansen taking roughly four hours. I travelled down the day before the race, completed registration and the mandatory equipment check near Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and still had time to explore the city before race morning.
That convenience is a big part of the appeal. Unlike races that require another long transfer into a remote mountain town, you can stay in central Hiroshima, get around easily by public transport and head into the mountains from the city.
Racing the Hiroshima Trail 50K
The 50K started from Hiroshima Stadium Park, following flatter roads before heading into the surrounding mountains. I went out aggressively while the course was runnable, then switched to power hiking once the bigger climbs began.
Hiroshima’s mountains are relatively low, but the course is relentless. The climbs keep coming, the descents are technical and there aren’t many opportunities to settle into a comfortable rhythm.
I was fighting for fourth position late in the race and managed to hold it through to the finish, just 90 seconds behind third. For my first ultra trail race, I was extremely happy with the result.
Hiroshima Trail: More Than a Race
The race uses sections of the 293.8 km Hiroshima Bay Coast Trail, which crosses mountains, rivers, towns, coastal areas and islands around Hiroshima Bay. The trail was created and continues to be maintained with support from local citizens, volunteers and the Hiroshima Bay Coast Trail Council.
That connection between the mountains and the city is one of the most interesting parts of the race. From the ridgelines, you look back over Hiroshima, the bay and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, so even when you’re deep into the course, the city remains part of the experience.
There’s also a bigger idea behind the event. The organisers built it around Hiroshima’s nature, history, culture and message of peace, which gives the race an identity that’s very specific to where you’re running rather than simply being another 50K mountain course.
Why Hiroshima Works for an International Trail-Running Trip
There’s plenty to do once you stop running. Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum are all in the city, while Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine are easy to add to the trip.
Then there’s the food. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, oysters and seafood are obvious choices, while areas such as Nagarekawa and Ekinishi are great places to head out after the race.
That’s probably what I like most about Hiroshima as a race destination. The race gives you a reason to come, but Hiroshima gives you plenty of reasons to stay.
Hiroshima Ultra-Trail by UTMB® Arrives in 2027
A few months after the 2026 race, Hiroshima Trail and UTMB announced that the event would join the UTMB World Series, with the first Hiroshima Ultra-Trail by UTMB® taking place from 9–11 April 2027.
The new event will include three distances:
- HIROSHIMA 25K — 24.4 km
- HIROSHIMA 50K — 48.7 km
- HIROSHIMA 100K — 94.6 km
The 100K and 50K start on 10 April, followed by the 25K on 11 April, with Hiroshima Gate Park at the centre of the race weekend. Finishers will earn 3 Running Stones for the 100K, 2 for the 50K and 1 for the 25K.
It’s a massive development for a relatively young event and will put Hiroshima in front of a much larger international trail-running audience. More importantly, the things that make the race interesting were already there before UTMB arrived: serious trails starting close to the city, views over the Seto Inland Sea and a race built around Hiroshima itself.
UTMB’s giving more runners a reason to discover it.
Five Questions With the Hiroshima Trail Organising Committee
To learn more about the event, how it started and what the organisers want runners from around the world to experience in Hiroshima, I asked the Hiroshima Trail Organising Committee five questions.
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1. What are the unique attractions and characteristics of this trail running event?
It is an urban-adjacent trail, something that is rare even on a global scale.
It is easy to access, international participants can take part with confidence, and accommodation is not a problem. Participants can also enjoy sightseeing before and after the event, including World Heritage Sites such as the Atomic Bomb Dome and Itsukushima Shrine.From the course, you can see the rebuilt city of Hiroshima.
On race day, we hope to cheer the runners across the finish line together with many local citizens.
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2. How did this event begin?
The Hiroshima Bay Coast Trail Council created a long-distance trail in Hiroshima called the Hiroshima Bay Coast Trail in 2018.
The event began with discussions about promoting this course to the world and encouraging people to make use of it.
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3. What kind of runners is this event intended for?
For publication after August 4, we hope runners from around the world will come.
From 2027, there will be three events, 25K, 50K and 100K, so runners who are not confident in their running ability can also participate.
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4. What kind of experience or memories do you hope participating runners will take home with them?
We hope that while running, participants will feel the “stories” of Hiroshima, including its history and culture, and reflect on peace.
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5. Is there anything about the local area or community that you would especially like international runners to know?
Hiroshima has a rich food culture. In areas such as Nagarekawa and Ekinishi, visitors can enjoy seafood, okonomiyaki and a wide variety of other foods.
There are also many places where people can learn about peace, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park and Orizuru Tower.
Final Thoughts on Hiroshima Trail
Hiroshima Trail was my first ultra, and finishing 4th made it a race I’ll remember for a long time. It also taught me pretty quickly that low mountains don’t mean easy mountains. The repeated climbs and technical descents made the 50K much tougher than I expected.
I’ll be back to try to improve on fourth place, but I also want to see what the race becomes now that UTMB’s involved. When I raced there in April 2026, Hiroshima Trail still felt like one of Japan’s emerging trail races. From April 2027, a much bigger international field is going to discover it.
And I think they’re going to have a lot of fun.
Plan Your Hiroshima Trail-Running Trip
Hiroshima Ultra-Trail by UTMB®
9–11 April 2027
25K / 50K / 100K
· Hiroshima Ultra-Trail by UTMB® official website
· Official Hiroshima tourism website
· UTMB World Series
· Trail Run Advisor
· Read my full 2026 Hiroshima Trail 50K race recap
