Members from the local and U.S. communities got down and dirty in the mud during the inaugural Samurai Run July 21, 2019 at Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan.
The Marine Corps Community Services event was held as a chance for locals and service members to strengthen relationships through friendly competition.
The Samurai Run was a four-mile course complimented by a series of obstacles that winded through the muddy trails of CATC.
“For the past three years, we have done mud runs,” said Bud Wood, the athletic director and Single Marine Program coordinator on Camp Fuji. “We took the mud run concept and we converted it into more of Spartan Race with obstacles, including the U.S. Marine Corps obstacle course.”
According to Wood, approximately 400 people participated in the inaugural Samurai Run.
“It was a great event to allow the local national communities to come onto base.”
— Bud Wood, the athletic director and Single Marine Program coordinator on Camp Fuji
“It was designed to bring the Japanese and American cultures together into one community.”
(Photo by Sgt. Timothy Turner)
The run had a variety of competitive and non-comptitive categories for men, women, teams, and children.
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Joshua Sassman, a military policeman assigned to CATC, Camp Fuji, placed third in the mens competitive race.
“The race is approximately four miles including all the terrain and obstacles,” said Sassman, a native of Sioux Center, Iowa. “We have members of the local communities coming out here to see the base and participate in the runs we do here. We did the mud run back in March and a lot of people showed up, got their shirts and were all motivated to come out here and run another race with us.”
According to Wood, the course was very challenging, but it was also meant to be fun and inviting to everyone.
(Photo by Sgt. Timothy Turner)
“I thought the race was very tough,” said Koji Toriumi, a participant of the Samurai Run and a native of Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. “It felt good running alongside Marines, and my favorite obstacle was the 45-degree ladder on the confidence course.”
In the future, MCCS hopes to hold this event annually.
“I want to thank everyone who came out,” said Wood. “We hope to see even more people next year and we hope this event continues to grow.”
MCCS is a comprehensive set of programs that support and enhance the operational readiness, war fighting capabilities, and life quality of Marines, their families, retirees and civilians.
This article originally appeared on Marines. Follow @USMC on Twitter.