Tsuyoshi Kaburaki

About

Tsuyoshi Kaburaki (born c.1969) is a Japanese ultrarunner and one of the most consequential figures in Asian trail running history. A career civil servant with the Japanese government, he resigned his position at age 40 in 2009 to become Japan's first dedicated professional trail runner — a decision that reshaped expectations of what was achievable for Asian athletes in the sport. He had already claimed a podium at the UTMB in 2009 (3rd place, his first finish since turning professional) and went on to win The North Face Beijing 100km back-to-back in 2009 and 2010 and the OSJ Ontake Ultra Trail 100 miles in 2012. He competed at the UTMB five times, placing from 3rd to 11th — consistently among the top Asian performers at the world's most prestigious ultra-trail event. Beyond racing, Kaburaki holds an equally important legacy as the visionary behind the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji (UTMF): inspired by his first UTMB appearance in 2007, he conceived and co-founded the event to bring epic mountain running to Japan, creating one of the most significant races on the global trail calendar. He is widely regarded as the athlete most responsible for making trail running a mainstream sport in Japan.

Notable Wins

• — UTMB 2009 3rd
• — The North Face Beijing 100km 2009
• — The North Face Beijing 100km 2010
• — OSJ Ontake Ultra Trail 100 miles 2012

Race History