Japanese Laz aka Tomokazu Ihara on Barkley Marathons, Grand Slam & Oshigaichi FKT

In this episode the featured guest is Tomokazu Ihara, Tomo is affectionately known as "Japanese Laz" the world over. Tomo is an accomplished ultrarunner who started running from a 5km challenge at work. Tomo is currently in a quest to complete 100 100-milers and he is at number 78 at the moment. He also completed the Grand Slam.

In trail running, the term “Grand Slam” typically refers to the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning™, a U.S.-based challenge that involves finishing four of five of the most prestigious 100-mile races in a single calendar year. These races are:

• Western States 100 (California)
• Vermont 100 (Vermont)
• Leadville Trail 100 (Colorado)
• Wasatch Front 100 (Utah)
• Old Dominion 100 (Virginia)

In 2023 the Vermont 100 was cancelled and Tomo Ran the Devil’s Gulch 100 which was an acceptable replacement race. Tomo went above and beyond by completing  five in 2023: Old Dominion 100, Western States 100, Devil’s Gulch 100 (in place of the Vermont 100), Leadville 100, and Wasatch Front 100.

In this episode, we talk about the Barkley Marathons 2025 — which is Tomo's 6th attempt. This year, only four people were able to complete two loops, including Tomo. ( with one 3 loop finisher - John Kelly)

We also talk about Tomo’s recent attempt at the grueling Oshigaichi FKT, a roughly 450 km (280 miles) run with over 30,000 meters of elevation gain around the mountainous border of Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

We also discuss the docuseries tracking Tomo's series Main Quest and Japanese trail running culture.

🔗 Links & Mentions:

• Tomokazu Ihara on Instagram
• Grand Slam of Ultrarunning – Official Site
• Barkley Marathons – Wikipedia
• Main Quest Docuseries 
• Ultrarunning Magazine