A 3.1km Parent–Child Trail Race in Japan: Uta Chooses Her Own Pace

At the Joshu Hachioji Hills Fun Trail on May 26, 2024, Uta asked a question I was not expecting: could she run this part on her own? We were racing together in the lower-grade parent–child division, and she was now in third grade. On a day when I was struggling to keep up my side of the partnership, she wanted to take responsibility for her own run.

We finished the 3.1km course in 16 minutes 40 seconds, second in our parent–child division. My original report also records Uta as the first girl. Those are two different descriptions of the result; this was not an overall victory.

Returning to a course we knew

This was my third appearance at the event and our second time entering together. The previous year we had won our parent–child category, with much of the uphill and flat running done hand in hand. This time, we talked about improving our time, even if we could not repeat that placing.

I was tired and not feeling at my best. Uta would have to do more of the running independently, with me alongside her. That made this return visit different before the start had even happened.

Road, woodland and stone steps

Three divisions started together: older children running individually, older parent–child pairs and younger parent–child pairs. We began around the third or fourth row, moving with the group rather than trying to force our way to the front.

After the opening few hundred metres came a downhill section, followed by a longer climb. I briefly took Uta's hand on the uphill, but could not sustain the effort. From then on, I concentrated on encouragement while she did the running herself.

Once we entered the woodland section, another pair passed us and we moved into second place. The course also included descending stone steps. Compared with our previous visit, Uta moved through that section more smoothly; it was a change I could see, beyond what the finish time would later show.

The moment she asked to run independently

Back on the road, the pair ahead seemed close enough that I considered taking her hand again. Instead, she asked to run on her own. In previous races she had sometimes wanted help at that point, so hearing this was a surprise.

She likes competing, but before trail events we also talk about enjoying places we do not normally get to run through. Here she was doing both: trying hard while choosing how she wanted to experience the course.

After the last climb, we held hands for the final straight and crossed the line together. The 16:40 finish was eight seconds faster than the previous year's result. Because the amount of parental assistance had changed, I see that comparison as part of our family story, not a controlled measure of training progress.

The race did not end at the results board

While waiting for the awards, the children played on a slide and talked with one another. Afterwards, Uta chose strawberry shaved ice. Those moments belong in the report too: the new friends and shared outing were part of why we enjoyed coming back.

For another family format, see our untimed Tokyo Marathon Family Run. Our earlier reflection on holding hands during races provides the background to why Uta's request meant so much to me.

Adapted from our original Japanese family account, first published 2024-05-27. Event details and results describe that visit.