EDITORIALS
Running in minus 20 degrees Celsius! Ice Marathon," which has been held in Antarctica and the Arctic, will be held in Japan for the first time!
The "Ice Marathon," a marathon without running on land that is held in Antarctica and the Arctic, will be held in Japan for the first time this winter. The event will be held in the town of Betsukai, located on the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Hokkaido. It will be called the "Betsukai Ice Marathon" and will be held in February 2023.
Participants can choose to run a 2 km, 16 km, or 42 km course. Participants will run on a 4.2 km track set up on the frozen sea. The venues are "Ontai-numa Fureai Campsite" and "Notsuke Peninsula Nature Center," which are busy with campers in summer. In midwinter, the temperature drops to minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, and the entire Notsuke Bay, with its pristine landscape, will be used as the marathon course.
The event is supervised by professionals in "extreme cold sports," including Arctic adventurer Yasunaga Ogita, former adventure racer Taro Shirato, and an Antarctic marathoner. Since the race is held in a severe environment, aid stations and warming tents will be set up throughout the course to ensure the safety of participants.
We asked Takahiro Yoshida of Magnet Place, the organizer of the event, to comment on why he decided to hold such an event.
We launched Magnet Place as a general incorporated association with the aim of revitalizing the local community of Betsukai Town, which is suffering from depopulation. We started with the idea of holding a triathlon to attract people from all over the world, and when Mr. Shirato came to Betsukai, we thought it would be catchy that it is the only town in Japan where the sea freezes over, and that a marathon that does not run on land would have an impact, and this Ice Marathon project was born. This is how the Ice Marathon project was born.
It was the first time for the organizer, the first time for the participants, and the first time for the town to welcome us. Since everything is new to us, there will be many inconveniences. But that is why I think the first time is so valuable.
The spread of corona infection has made travel difficult, but I hope that people will come to Betsukai as if they were going abroad, and that the name "Betsukai-cho" will spread overseas as well.
Thank you, Mr. Yoshida! The internet is full of surprised comments such as "I found something bad..." and "What the heck is this? There have been a lot of surprised comments on the Internet, such as "I found something bad..." and "What the heck is this? If you want to participate, now is the time to sign up...!
Participation requirements are "healthy people who are 18 years of age or older on the day of the event. On the day before the event, Yasunaga Ogita and Taro Shirato will give a talk. Why not enjoy the magnificent nature of the Notsuke Peninsula while immersing yourself in the harsh natural environment?
Betsukai Ice Marathon
■Period：February 11 (Sat.)～13 (Mon.), 2023
Time：13:30-15:30
Location: Betsukai Town / Ontai-numa Fureai Campsite / Notsuke Peninsula Nature Center
■Participation Fee
IceSeaMan (42km, 26miles) 40,000 yen
Northan Tri (16km/10miles) 25,000 yen
Ice Tri (2km/1.2miles) 10,000 yen
Including tax, entry fee and party fee.
Inquiries: Magnet Place 090-6470-7720
View details of "Betsukai Ice Marathon" on Domingo
<Image provided by
Magnet Place Incorporated Association
