MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Nine station residents took the challenge to conquer Mount Fuji during the 55th Annual Mount Fuji Climbing Race July 26.
More than 2,000 participants from Japan, Spain, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the United States started at the base of Mount Fuji to ascend to the summit at 12,388 feet. The 21-kilometer race covered everything from paved roads to wooded trails, steep-rocky slopes and jagged-vertical stairs.
This race was like no other according to most of the participants.
It started out like any marathon," said Robert Lopez, race participant. "Couple of thousand people, nervous, how long is it going to take to finish this race? Then it turned into, 'gosh how far up does this thing go,' to 'my God, it's never going to end' ... to 'just shoot me and call a helo to come get my body.'"
Although a little dramatic, his sentiments were shared by others.
"The first nine miles or so was a relatively gradual ascent," said Darrin Bellows, race participant. "As we went higher the thoughts of running disappeared and it turned into simply trying to keep moving upward anyway one could. Crawling was not out of the question."
Sheer determination would take these athletes to the top, but not without a price.
"The mental pain was the toughest aspect of the race," said Randall Navarro, race participant. "Distance running has always been more of a mental discipline rather than a physical one, but Mount Fuji had a way of defeating any ambitions of conquering it. I remember looking up when I first broke the tree line and saw the peak of Mount Fuji, and saying, 'that's a long ways.' An hour later, I looked up and it was like I hadn't moved."
Although mental pain was Navarro's toughest aspect, for another runner it was the altitude.
"The effects from the altitude have to be the toughest aspect of this race," said Robert Gingras, race participant, who was on his fifth race and who convinced his wife Pamela to participate in her first. "Some of us are regularly sub-eighteen-minute three-mile runners, and to be brought to a dead crawl due to the lack of oxygen is just devastating. But not devastating enough from stopping us from going back again next year."
As if tackling the mountain once wasn't enough, Robert Mohler, race participant, was on his third race. His first race was rained out and officials made the runners stop at station five. His second race he chose to stop at station five.
"This time I made it almost to station eight ... that was around 4 hours and 30 minutes into the race," said Mohler. "I'm thankful to the Lord that I was able to go a little further up the mountain this time."
Two runners stopped to assist people in distress on the mountain. Navarro helped a Japanese runner who was suffering from the heat, while Bellows aided an American Sailor who was having problems while hiking.
Each participant had his own motivation for tackling the mountain. For Bradley Milton, race participant, it was a personal challenge sparked by his brother who had competed in the race and suggested it to him. For Duwayne Darby, race participant, it was getting the check in the box and bragging rights.
"It seemed like a good challenge, and most of all the bragging rights that go with it," said Darby. "All said and done, it was fun. I know that sounds strange ... because at the time it was pure hell, but that's how I feel about it looking back."