Betsukai Ice Marathon
Athlete Entitlements
Samurai Sports Advantage
Race Standard
Imagine running a marathon, but on ice.
There aren’t many marathons that don’t run on land but the Betsukai Ice Marathon lives up to its name – it takes place entirely on ice! And where else but Hokkaido?
In Japan, you’re not going to get much colder than northern Hokkaido in February. There’s certain things you can only do off the frozen coast of Hokkaido, and this is one of those things.
The Betsukai Ice Marathon is a bucket list, seasonal opportunity that can only happen in Japan’s northernmost prefecture! Now that we’ve piqued the curiosity of adventure racers and endurance athletes everywhere…with three distance categories available, the Betsukai Ice Marathon is suitable for all levels of active individuals.
We know you have questions, and we think we can answer them:
Will it be cold? It’s all relative 🙂
Is it safe? Absolutely.
Is this peak Hokkaido? Yes, without a doubt.
About Betsukai Town
Primarily an agricultural town best known for its dairy farms, Betsukai is a small town of about 16,000 residents. Located on the eastern coast of the Notsuke Peninsula, Betsukai boasts breathtaking views that highlight Hokkaido’s natural resources on both sea and land.
During the winter, the Notsuke Peninsula is entirely covered in ice, both frozen over the season and drifted from further north. This icy landscape enables the town of Betsukai to host the inaugural Betsukai Ice Marathon and invite athletes to this unique winter experience.
This event is held under the watchful supervision of Yasunaga Ogita, an Artic adventurer recognized as the first Japanese national to reach the South Pole unassisted, traveling over 1,100km in 50 days from the coast of Antarctica. Please note that a variety of pre- and post- race events are in progress and will be announced once details are firm.
サムライスポーツは日本国籍以外を対象とした外国人向け専用受付サイトです。日本国籍の方は日本語サイトからお申込みください。日本国籍以外の方がエントリーした場合、無効となる場合があります 。無効となった場合には、返金手数料を差し引き、参加費をご返金させていただきます。
- 00Days
Registration Period
Nov 7, 2022 - January 31, 2023
Closest Airports
・Nakashibetsu Airport
・Kushiro Airport
By Air
・From Haneda Airport (HND): Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB)
・From Narita Airport (NRT): Kushiro Airport (KUH) (via Peach Aviation)
・From Kansai Airport (KIX): Kushiro Airport (KUH) (via Peach Aviation); alternatively, Shin Chitose Sapporo Airport (CTS), then Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB)
From Nakashibetsu Airport to Betsukai Town
・Rental car, taxi or local bus (about 30 minutes)
From Kushiro Airport to Betsukai Town
・Car (about 90 minutes)
・Train + local bus (about 2.5 hours)
・Highway bus (about 2.5 hours)
February 11, 2023 (Saturday)
evening…opening ceremony
February 12, 2023 (Sunday)
0800…start
1630…finish
1700-1900..awards ceremony & finisher celebration
night…arctic tent experience (optional)
February 11, 2023 (Monday)
morning…optional activities, such as sunrise viewing, container sauna experience, and fresh scallop breakfast
- Schedule is tentative; specific details regarding optional activities TBA
- Optional activities and experiences limited to athletes and their families/supporters
- Contact Samurai Sports for any questions
・Ice Tri (2k)
¥10,000 (¥11,000 incl. Samurai Sports service charge)
・Northern Tri (16k)
¥25,000 (¥27,500 incl. Samurai Sports service charge)
・Ice Seaman (42k)
¥40,000 (¥44,000 incl. Samurai Sports service charge)
Additional Surcharges
・If total cost is ¥10,000 or less, you will incur a flat fee service charge of ¥1,000.
・If total cost is more than ¥10,001, you will incur a service charge amounting to 10% of total cost.
・Why does Samurai Sports implement a service charge? They help us cover the cost of operating the registration platform, translation of athlete guides/event information, labor hours required to answer your event inquiries, etc. Depending on the event, the surcharges help to cover the cost of our physical presence at the event. Learn more about Samurai Sports’ service charge.
Age Eligibility
・Must be 18 or older
・High school students not permitted
Cut Off Times
Athletes may not start their next lap after 6.5 hours. Broadly speaking, the cut off would be about 38k after 6.5 hours from the start time.
Important
・Demonstrate good manners. All participants must be respectful of the natural course environment and do his/her best to preserve it. Be mindful of other participants on course.
・Be a responsible athlete. Please make sure you have the physical ability to complete the course.
Recommended
・multiple layers of sweat-wicking clothing
・nutrition/hydration
・health insurance card (not a copy)
・mobile phone/smartphone
Temperatures are forecast to be between -20 to -30 degrees Celsius, or about -4 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit.
● Body
– base layer
– mid-layer (such as a thin fleece)
– wind shell (with hood and zipper ventilation recommended)
● Legs
– base layer
– wind shell
● Feet
– base socks
– wool socks
– trail running or snow training shoes (preferably a half size larger to accommodate thick socks)
– foot warmers recommended
● Hands
– inner base gloves
– gloves
– mittens
– hand warmers recommended
● Head & Neck
– head covering, such as a beanie or thermal cap
– face covering, such as a buff
– eye wear (both sunglasses and ski goggles recommended)
– neck covering recommended
Athletes are advised to wear high quality inner layers made of modern technical fabrics that draw moisture away from the body. Also described as sweat-wicking, fabrics like high-tech polyester, merino wool, or nylon absorb very little water and are ideal for thermo-regulation.
A few light outer layers will allow athletes to adjust amongst layers. Athletes should always wear a heavier outermost layer that is wind-resistant. To prevent frostbite, a face mask as well as layered gloves and socks are strongly recommended. Extremities such as toes and fingers are particularly susceptible to frostbite; avoid exposing skin for long periods. Athletes are permitted to add or subtract layers of clothing at the aid station, accessible with each 4.2k lap completed.
- Course maps and elevation profile TBA
- Each lap is 4.2km
- The course takes place on the frozen Notsuke Bay. The bay area is 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) at its deepest; the ice is approximately 50cm (about 20 inches) thick and snowmobiles can be driven safely during this time of year.
- An aid station will be set up at the start/finish for athletes to use each lap.
- While athletes will be on ice, the terrain can be most accurately described as compacted snow. Athletes should expect firm surfaces with the potential for fresh snow, depending on weather conditions.
Odaito Fureai Camping Ground | 尾岱沼ふれあいキャンプ場
Odaito-misakicho, Betsukai, Notsuke District, Hokkaido 084-1642
Google Maps
TBA
・ Please ensure you have lodging and transportation plans figured out BEFORE registering for this event.
General
・ No refunds, deferrals, or credits will be issued. This applies to incidents in which the event is cancelled for any reason including personal participant circumstances of the participant (including illness and injury) and incidents in which the event is cancelled due to unforeseen weather conditions or natural disasters.
・Depending on the event, transfers and certain modifications to your entry may be permitted. Generally, entries may be transferable and/or permit modifications until 3-5 days before the last day of registration. After this period, all transfers are considered illegal and modifications will not be accommodated.
Participants determined to be violating the policies below may be disqualified without a refund:
・Any person found to be bib-swapping (illegal transfer of bib); the person will be held responsible in case of an accident arising from or provoked by the other person during the event.
・Any person found to be registering with inaccurate information, i.e. false declarations of the participants name, age, or gender.
・You will not sue the event organizers nor its affiliates (including Samurai Sports) for any injury or death caused during the event.
・ You consent to and will give all authorities and copyright to the event organizer and affiliates for the use of photography, motion pictures, articles, recordings or any other record of this event (including personal information such as name, age, gender, personal record, portrait, and etc.) for legitimate purposes and use in newspapers, TV, magazines, internet and any media publishing such as Facebook posts, Instagram posts, and pamphlets.
Insurance
・ Those participating and coming from abroad must be enrolled in medical and/or travel insurance in case of accident, injury, and medical emergencies.
・ Before signing up, please carefully read all rules and regulations of the event. If the rules and regulations cannot be followed, participation may be denied by the event organizers. If anything is unclear, please do not hesitate to contact us – it is your responsibility to be prepared.
Privacy
・The organizer is aware of the importance of your personal information. The use of personal information conforms to the organizer’s privacy protection law.
・Your personal information is used to provide you valuable services, such as race information, results, service from race affiliates, result ranking, and etc.
・The organizer may release your personal information when your life or body is in a life-threatening situation.
・The race organizer and its affiliates may contact you regarding your registration information.
Athlete Guides
・In most cases, athlete guides in English will be sent via email approximately 7-21 days before the event. However, the delivery of athlete guides is entirely dependent on the timeliness of the event organizers. Samurai Sports takes approximately one to two days from receipt of the Japanese athlete guide to translate into English.
Additional Surcharges
・If total cost is ¥10,000 or less, you will incur a flat fee service charge of ¥1,000.
・If total cost is more than ¥10,001, you will incur a service charge amounting to 10% of total cost.
・Why the additional charges? They help us cover the cost of operating the registration platform, translation of athlete guides/event information, labor hours required to answer your event inquiries, etc. Depending on the event, the surcharges help to cover the cost of our physical presence at the event.
Athlonia 株式会社アスロニア
Magnetplace 一般社団法人マグネットプレイス
Northern Cross 株式会社ノーザンクロス
vitamin i factory
English
info@samuraisports.co.jp
Official Website (Japanese)
https://icemarathon.jp/