Kagaspa Trail Endurance 100 by UTMB
Kagaspa Trail Endurance 100 by UTMB – KAGASPA 50K
Yukemuri Kenkou Village, Yamanaka Onsen/山中温泉ゆけむり健康村
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The KAGASPA 50K is the middle distance at Kagaspa Trail Endurance 100 by UTMB, a 57 km point-to-point that starts at the Yukemuri Kenkou Village in Yamanaka Onsen (79 m) and finishes at Yamanaka-Za (69 m) in Japan's Kaga region. It packs 2249 m of climbing into that span, yet its high point is only 533 m, so the vertical comes not from one big mountain but from constant rolling and steep pitches between low river valleys and forested ridgelines. Sharing much of its route and several checkpoints with the KAGASPA 100K, the 50K offers the same character of relentless Japanese mountain trail in a single-day format. With six aid stations spacing out the effort and cut-offs running through Sunday to a 19:25 finish window, it rewards steady, disciplined running over explosive climbing. The challenge is accumulation and consistency rather than altitude, and runners who keep an even effort across the many undulations will fare best.
The course: 57 km of rolling mountain trail
From the start at Yukemuri Kenkou Village (0 km, 79 m) the KAGASPA 50K climbs sharply to its first and highest checkpoint, Mt. Kariyasu at 8.6 km (476 m). This early climb is the biggest single ascent of the day, taking you close to the course high point of 533 m within the opening kilometres. After that the profile becomes a repeating pattern of descents to low valley checkpoints and climbs back up through forested terrain. The route drops to Kutani Dam at 16.4 km (195 m) and Kutani Water Park at 21.1 km (196 m), then continues to Imadate Ios Square at 30 km (96 m), Takigahara at 41.6 km (64 m) and Tonoo at 49.8 km (45 m) before the finish at Yamanaka-Za at 56.8 km (69 m). With 2249 m of gain and no checkpoint above 533 m, the elevation is earned repeatedly on short steep pitches rather than banked in a single long climb. The back half in particular runs low and river-level, so the climbing is concentrated in the connective terrain between those valley stations.
Where the race is won or lost
The opening climb to Mt. Kariyasu (8.6 km, 476 m) is the first key moment: it is the steepest sustained ascent of the race and comes when the field is fresh and prone to going out too hard. Climbing it under control, rather than racing to the top, keeps your legs intact for the many smaller climbs that follow through the middle of the course. This early restraint is the foundation of a good KAGASPA 50K. The second decisive phase is the long, low back half from Kutani Water Park (21.1 km) through Imadate Ios Square (30 km), Takigahara (41.6 km) and Tonoo (49.8 km). These checkpoints sit at valley level, but the terrain between them keeps forcing short climbs and descents. After 30-plus kilometres this repeated up-and-down is where fatigue and quad damage decide finishing times. Runners who managed the early climb and kept fuelling can stay strong here; those who overcooked the start will grind against the later cut-offs.
Pacing and fuelling with six aid stations
The KAGASPA 50K has aid stations at roughly 8.6, 16.4, 21.1, 30, 41.6 and 49.8 km, so the longest carry between support is around 12 km. That spacing means you can travel relatively light, but the gap from Kutani Water Park (21.1 km) to Imadate Ios Square (30 km) and on to Takigahara (41.6 km) covers the demanding middle of the race and deserves the most attention when planning fluid and calories. Eat little and often at the stations rather than relying on infrequent large refuels. The cut-offs give the pace framework: Kutani Water Park at 10:55, Takigahara at 15:25, Tonoo at 17:25 and the finish at 19:25 on Sunday. The first squeeze is reaching Kutani Water Park inside its cut-off after the early climb over Mt. Kariyasu, so avoid banking a deficit on the opening ascent. From Takigahara onward the terrain runs low, so arriving there with time in hand and legs able to run makes the closing stretch to Yamanaka-Za manageable rather than a race against the clock.
Conditions to expect
Like the longer Kagaspa races, the 50K runs through low, green mountain terrain rather than exposed high ground. With a high point of just 533 m and long stretches near river level at Kutani Dam (195 m), Imadate Ios Square (96 m) and Tonoo (45 m), the defining conditions are humidity, warm forest air and technical footing on wooded and riverside trail rather than wind or cold at altitude. Depending on your pace the race may run into the evening toward its 19:25 finish cut-off, so it is worth carrying a headlamp and a light layer in case you are still out as the light fades and temperatures drop. Grip for potentially soft or root-laced forest trail helps on the many short steep climbs and descents, and the repeated undulation rewards runners who stay patient and keep eating steadily. Manage the early climb, respect the rolling middle, and the low-lying run to Yamanaka-Za becomes a satisfying finish rather than a struggle.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 79 m · —
8.6 km · 476 m · —
16.4 km · 195 m · —
21.1 km · 196 m · Sun 10:55
30 km · 96 m · —
41.6 km · 64 m · Sun 15:25
49.8 km · 45 m · Sun 17:25
56.8 km · 69 m · Sun 19:25
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