Summits, Donuts & TJAR: Brian and Derin’s Epic Ultra-Running Adventures in Japan

Derin is an American ultra-runner living in Tokyo. After developing a world-class dad bod due to years of health negligence, he took up running in 2017 at age 38 to master a sport he’d always disdained. A former competitive swimmer and avid hiker, he rebuilt his fitness in true rookie fashion, learning hard lessons from successive mistakes. In 2024, he became the first foreign athlete ever selected to participate in the grueling 415km Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR).

Brian is an American living in Japan, raised near the Sierra Nevadas. Coming from a unique lineage of mountaineers (father’s side) and donut artisans (mother’s side), he is currently combining these two genetic impulses by attempting to eat a Mister Donut on the summit of all 100 of Japan’s Famous Mountains. An accomplished ultra-runner, Brian enjoys spending long days in the mountains, embracing both the adventure and the challenge.

Both runners are passionate about pushing their limits and exploring Japan’s rugged landscapes, one summit (and one donut) at a time.

Links

Mt Ontake

Tor des Géants

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano

2666 by Roberto Bolano

The push: A Climber's Journey of Endurance, Risk and Going Beyond Limits by Tommy Caldwell

The Sopranos

The Wire

It's always sunny in Philadelphia

Squid Game

Severance

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