Hiroaki MATSUNAGA

About the runner

Hiroaki Matsunaga, originally from Shizuoka Prefecture and currently residing in Niigata Prefecture, is a professional athlete with approximately 20 years of experience. He is an athlete in the outdoor sport of trail running, which involves running on unpaved paths in mountains and other natural environments. He has competed in various trail and ultra-running events around the world, including those in Europe, America, Oceania, and Africa. He has achieved substantial results in numerous of these international competitions. Since 2006, he has served as the representative and head of "Trail Runners," based in Niigata Prefecture, where he organizes and produces outdoor sports events. Leveraging his own experiences in the world of trail running, he organizes over 15 major events annually at 7-8 locations throughout Japan (from Yamagata Prefecture in the north to Hyogo Prefecture in the south), ranging from the Trail Runners Cup (3-8 km) for participants as young as 3 years old to the DEEP JAPAN ULTRA 100 (160 km), which is a world-class race. His events all have the overarching theme of creating opportunities to "change lives". He actively communicates through various media channels, including social media, YouTube, and podcasts, sharing his experiences and introducing races from around the world through magazines and overseas tours.