The northern part of Okinawa's main island is called Yanbaru. It is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site — subtropical forest, coastal cliffs, endemic wildlife, and roads that run between the sea and the trees with almost no traffic and almost no people.
It is also where I run 100km.
I have been racing ultras for fourteen years on four continents. Badwater 135 in Death Valley. The Gobi Desert. The mountains of Sweden. The ancient road from Athens to Sparta. In all of that running, the Yanbaru coast is among the most beautiful places I have found to cover a long distance on foot.
Here is what the route actually looks like.
The run begins at the Ogimi Village observation deck — a small platform above the village at the southern edge of the Yanbaru forest, looking north along the coast.
Ogimi Village is known in Japan as a place of exceptional longevity. The oldest residents of the village are among the oldest people in Japan, which is itself a country of exceptional longevity. There is something appropriate about starting a 100km run in a place associated with the long view.
The road north from Ogimi follows the eastern coast of the peninsula, climbing and descending through forest and along the cliff edge, with the Pacific Ocean visible below on the right.
The first half of the route runs north along the eastern coast of Yanbaru. The road is narrow in places, genuinely hilly — this is not flat coastal running — and largely empty of traffic.
At roughly kilometer 20, the route passes through the small community of Hentona. The support car meets you here. Eat, drink, keep moving.
The landscape along this section alternates between forest and coast. The subtropical vegetation is dense and green year-round. In winter — which is when we run — the temperature is 15 to 22 degrees and the light has a quality that does not exist in the same way anywhere in Europe or North America.
Cape Hedo — the northernmost point of Okinawa's main island — is the turnaround point at approximately kilometer 50. On a clear day, you can see the islands of the Ryukyu chain extending south, and Yoron Island to the north. It is a significant place geographically and, by that point in the run, psychologically.
You have come 50km. You have 50km to go. The second half of every ultra is a different event from the first half, and this is the moment you cross from one to the other.
The return route follows the western coast of the Yanbaru peninsula — a different character from the eastern side. The road is slightly more open, the views are across the East China Sea rather than the Pacific, and the light changes direction as the sun moves west.
By this point — kilometer 50 onward — the run has changed. The body is tired. The novelty of the early sections has worn off. The middle section of the Yanbaru 100k, roughly kilometer 55 to 70, is where most runners encounter their first significant rough patch.
This is normal. It is the ultra revealing itself. Walk to the next support stop, eat something, drink something, give yourself 20 minutes.
The support car meets you approximately every 20km on this section — at the coastal communities along the western side of the peninsula. The roads pass through small fishing villages, past harbours, along stretches of coast where the sea is close on one side and the forest rises on the other.
Depending on your pace and the time of year, some portion of the second half will be run in darkness. In November and December, darkness arrives early — around 6pm — so runners starting at 7am may spend several hours in the dark on the return leg.
The Yanbaru roads at night are quiet. Almost no traffic. The forest sounds different. The headlamp creates its own small world.
I have run this section in the dark many times. There is something about it — the quiet, the rhythm, the absence of distraction — that is both harder and more memorable than the daylight running.
The route returns to the Ogimi observation deck — the same place it started, many hours earlier. Most first-timers arrive somewhere between 14 and 17 hours after setting out.
The finish is not a tape or a crowd or a medal ceremony. It is a return. We left, we ran the island, and we came back. That is the goal. Nothing more complicated than that.
Elevation: Approximately 1,800 meters of cumulative ascent over 100km. This is significant — more than many runners expect from a coastal route. The Yanbaru hills are real. Walking the uphills is correct strategy, not failure.
Weather: November through March, temperatures range from approximately 15 to 22 degrees during the day and around 14 to 17 degrees at night. It can rain. We run regardless.
Traffic: Minimal on the Yanbaru roads, essentially zero at night. High-visibility vest and rear blink light are required after dark — you are on public roads.
Support: A car follows the route and stops every 20km with water. Food rides in the car — you prepare it yourself before Day 2.
The day before: We run a half marathon together on Day 1. This is not optional. It serves as a fitness assessment, a chance to experience part of the route, and an opportunity to get comfortable running together before the full distance.
The Yanbaru 100k guided ultra runs November through March. Groups of 1 to 4 runners. I run every kilometer alongside you.
Qualification: marathon under 4:15, or half marathon under 2:05. At least one run of 30km or more in the last 6 months. Proof required — official race result or GPS file.
The application process includes a short video call before confirmation. This is a real 100km on a remote course. I take qualification seriously.
Details and application at yanbaru100k.okinawaultra.run.
Japanese language page: yanbaru100k.okinawaultra.run/jp
Michal Činčiala is a Czech ultra runner and coach based on Hamahiga Island, Okinawa during the camp season (November–March). Key races: Badwater 135, Ultra Gobi 400km (10th overall), Ultra Milano-Sanremo 285km (3rd overall), Spartathlon, MOAB 240, Authentic Phidippides Run 500km, Kirishima Ebino Kougen Extreme Trail (Japan). He coaches marathon runners through their first 100km ultra on the roads of northern Okinawa.
Running your first 100km in Okinawa — guided, coached, semi-supported on the Yanbaru coast.
Learn about the Yanbaru 100k →