The "Ayabe Niomon Mountain Race," a race up the mountain path leading to the Niomon Gate of Komyoji Temple, surrounded by lush greenery, was held on June 7, 2026, starting and finishing at Nio Park in Mutsumi-cho, Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture. Under a rainy sky, 493 participants from both within and outside the city tackled the challenging course.
The event, now in its 32nd year, is organized by Ayabe City and the Ayabe City Sports Association to create opportunities for people to enjoy sports. Participants were divided into 14 categories based on age and gender, running distances ranging from 2 to 10 kilometers.
On the 10-kilometer course, participants struggled with the 309 stone steps leading to the Niomon Gate and the steep downhill slopes, but they ran along the mountain path, testing the results of their daily training.
A 15-year-old male student from Hashidate Junior High School, who won first place in the junior high school boys' division, said, "I focused on enjoying the uphill sections slowly and picking up the pace on the downhill sections. I'm satisfied that I was able to run the race as I had envisioned."
At the starting and finishing point, the "Nio Park Festival" was also held simultaneously, with performances by the Kanbayashi Taiko drum group and a "Hometown Tent Village" selling local products entertaining the participants.
