Photo book | TRAIL RUNNER RUY UEDA

Professional mountain runner Ruy Ueda's first photo book "TRAILRUNNER RUY UEDA"

It has been 11 years since professional mountain runner Rui Ueda made his trail running debut.

A photobook capturing his 11-year history has been completed, featuring photographs by photographer Fujimaki Sho, who has accompanied him on many occasions both in Japan and abroad.

It is a selection of masterpieces filled with the couple's passion for the mountains.

Mountain runner Rui Ueda

Born on October 3, 1993 in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture. Graduated from Saku Chosei High School, a prestigious relay school.

He served as captain in his third year, but due to repeated injuries he was unable to run properly for three years, and graduated without even breaking his own record from junior high school.
After graduating from high school, he went on to Waseda University, but did not aim to run in the Hakone Ekiden. Instead, he joined the track and field club because he wanted to enjoy running.

He placed 5th in the Shibamata 100K in Tokyo, which he participated in as a way to "make some final memories as a teenager," and was scouted by Columbia Sportswear, his current sponsor, and began trail running.
He won his debut race with a new record, and in his second race, he placed 6th in the Japan Mountain Endurance Race, the most prestigious race in the country.
Since then, he has won numerous competitions and broken records.

Ueda Rui was brought into the spotlight in the trail running world at the 2014 Japan Mountain Endurance Race. He broke the course record by 18 minutes and came within a whisker of breaking the seven-hour mark to become the youngest winner of the race.

In 2016, he won the U-23 World Championships in skyrunning, a highly vertical, high-altitude event.
He also came in second place in the CCC® of the UTMB, the world's most prestigious trail running race.

In 2019, he became the first Asian to win the Skyrunner World Series annual championship.

PHOTO BOOK STORY

Ueda Rui and Fujimaki Sho first met at a mountain endurance race in 2013.

"There's a fast college student who seems to be a former track and field athlete." It's a small world, and rumors about Rui were already known to those in the media.
Sho ends up taking photos of Rui in tears after being overtaken in the finish.

"I wonder if this player is so upset because he only went from fifth to sixth place." That was our first meeting, our first cut.
Rui takes part in many races and is photographed many times. Eventually, Fujimaki realizes that Rui's speed isn't just due to his background in athletics.

It all made sense to me that he was from Omachi, the gateway to the Northern Alps. "I see, maybe it's because of my mountain man genes."
Rui has become strong enough to take part in "Skyrunning" events held on steep European mountains, and is now able to climb the first mountain in first place. While he is standing on top of the mountain with his camera, a member of the international media tells him where he is ranked. "Rui is in first place," Sho says, feeling proud.

Rui suggested that they summarize the trajectory of the past 11 years, and Sho agreed.
This Ueda Rui photo book is filled with the couple's thoughts about many mountains.