Lake Biwa 100

Lake Biwa 100 is a point-to-point 100-mile journey through Japan's Kansai region, tracing the flanks of Lake Biwa—Japan's largest lake—across three distinct mountain ranges. Starting from the hot spring resort of Yunoyama Onsen in Mie Prefecture, runners traverse the rugged Suzuka Mountains (including Mt. Gozaisho at 1,212m), cross through Shiga Prefecture along the Tokai Nature Trail, climb the steep peaks near the 100km mark, ascend the sacred Mt. Hiei with its famous Enryakuji Temple home to the Marathon Monks, and tackle the demanding Hira mountain range before a steep final descent to the shores of Lake Biwa. With minimal course marking and GPS navigation required throughout, this semi-autonomous race demands both athletic fitness and mountaineering judgment. Technical ridgelines require chain-assisted scrambles, narrow ridge traversals demand careful footwork, and sections through forests, rice paddies, residential neighborhoods, and ancient pilgrimage sites give the route a distinctly Japanese character. A Hardrock 100, Western States, and UTMB World Series qualifier. Many finishers dive into Lake Biwa to celebrate.