March 13

Ultra Trail Mount Fuji 2020: 2020 EDITION HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

Posted by adefrutos on March 13, 2020 in trail running, trail running spain, Ultra Trail, ultra trail mount fuji, ultra trails | Leave a comment

The Ultra Trail Mount Fuji 2020 has been cancelled due the COVID-19 outbreak. The overall Director of the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji Race Committee, Tsuyoshi Kaburaki said in their press release “First of all, we would like to express our deep sympathy to the victims of the novel coronavirus that has been spreading around the world. We also wish those infected with the virus a quick recovery, and those who are experiencing hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak a safe way out of their difficult situation as soon as possible.”

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ULTRA TRAIL MOUNT FUJI: CANCELLED DUE COVID-19 OUTBREAK, HERE WE HAVE THE PRESS RELEASE

Over the past months the UTMF Race Committee has been discussing whether to hold the UTMF2020, while closely following the development of the coronavirus outbreak.

Unfortunately, we have not seen any sign that the spread of the virus has been contained or even slowed in Japan or around the world.
Under present circumstances, it is impossible to eliminate the risk of infection for the UTMF racers, volunteers, and staff members even if we employ various preventive measures, since the race requires participants to stay and work long hours in aid stations (where food and beverages are served, first aid and rescue activities are conducted, and people take naps, etc.), engage in rescue activities around the race course, and interact with many people at check-in stations, equipment check stations, and the start and goal venues. We therefore have concluded that we are unable to provide a safe environment for people involved with the race.

Moreover, travel restrictions are now in place in many countries around the world, which is making it difficult for international racers to arrive in Japan. These issues have together led us to cancel the UTMF2020.

We apologize for causing great trouble to racers who have been training and preparing for this race, volunteers who have participated in the course maintenance thus far, volunteers who were planning to work during the race, and UTMF supporters including sponsors, companies participating in the UTMF Expo, public and private organizations, and local people. Since this is a special and extremely difficult circumstance, we offer special measures for racers including granting priority entry rights for the next year’s UTMF and an entry fee discount. Please see the appendix for greater detail.

Around the end of April we are going to share more information by sending emails to racers, and by posting on the official UTMF website and Facebook.

We are still committed to the idea of sharing with people around the world the importance of taking on challenges, and of the attractiveness of trail running in the beautiful atmosphere and environment around Mt. Fuji.
We appreciate your understanding and continued support.

Special measures related to the cancellation of the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji 2020

1) Special measures related to the cancellation

All UTMF2020 racers will be granted a priority entry right for next year’s race (UTMF2021).
- The entry fee for the UTMF2021 will be discounted. The amount will be announced by late April after calculating costs of the UTMF2020.
- The entry fee for the UTMF2021 will be waived for UTMF2020 donation entry racers.
The priority entry right for the UTMF2021 will still be granted to racers who will lose their qualifications by the start of the UTMF2021.

* Racer qualification for the UTMF2020: Racers who have successfully finished in races that are registered with the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and earned at least ten points from up to three races within the last three years up until the day before the registration start date of the UTMF2020. At least one of these races must have been completed in the twelve months before the UTMF2020 registration start date.

Part of the 2020 entry fee is to be refunded to racers who waive their right to receive the priority entry right for the UTMF2021.
- Racers who ask for the part-refund will lose their priority entry right for the UTMF2021. No refund is to be given to donation entry racers.
The Race Committee will ship race T-shirts (made by THE NORTH FACE) to all racers.
When the containment of the coronavirus starts to be observed around the world, we will offer the Virtual UTMF (tentative title) using STRAVA – a social network app designed for athletes (currently planning to offer this sometime after June 2020).

2) Upcoming schedule

We are going to finalize details associated with the cancellation of the UTMF2020 by late April 2020 and share them via email to racers’ registered email addresses, and on the official UTMF website and Facebook page.

3) Contact information

Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji Access Bus Tour – Fujikyu Travel – Fujikyu Travel will send email to racers who have purchased the bus tour about refund procedure.

UTMF Official Tour for residents outside of Japan – Euro-Ex . Email has already sent to those who purchased the tour from info@fields-onearth.com.

Special accommodation plant at Gotemba Kogen Tokinosumika – Gotemba Tokinosumika

ULTRA-TRAIL Mt. FUJI Race Committee E-mail：info-english@ultratrailmtfuji.com

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