Team RICKA is in charge of maintaining the 100km course in the Yamanashi Prefecture area of ​​Mt.FUJI 100. We hate running a race on a rough trail, following the advice of "just as it is," so we recruit many team members to maintain the course as carefully as possible.
In this area, races such as the Fujisan Foothills Trail Run and the Fujisan Primeval Forest Trail Run have been held since before the Mt. FUJI 100, and trail maintenance and cleaning activities have been ongoing since 2007. Before the trail race, many of the roads were practically abandoned, so trail work such as removing fallen trees, mowing grass, making wooden steps, and repairing landslides has been carried out. The purpose of maintenance is not just for the race. We maintain the trails with the utmost consideration for hikers to enjoy hiking in the mountains with peace of mind. The area that requires the most attention in maintenance is the Jukai area. The forest was built on soil about 30 to 50 cm deep on top of hard, thick lava, so the roots cannot spread deep underground, and many thick trees fall when a typhoon comes. Therefore, trail patrols after typhoons and heavy rains are essential.
Team RICKA currently has 270 members. Some members have professional skills in forestry, civil engineering, construction, scaffolding, plumbing, etc., but most members are ordinary people with no special skills. When maintaining the trail, each member is assigned a task, but the members of the "Girls' Gardening Club" are always the ones who stand out. They use pruning shears to cut twigs that threaten to poke eyes and wild roses that scratch the feet, and they keep pushing dead branches and loose rocks scattered on the trail to the side. They continue to maintain the trail throughout the year to keep the 100km-plus course safe and beautiful.
I have been maintaining trails with my teammates on Team RICKA for over 15 years, and trail maintenance has become the greatest joy of my life.
Team RICKA
Race Producer: Fukuda Rikka
Ricka Fukuda