Grinduro Japan Hakuba 2023

Event Overview

Grinduro Japan 2023 returned after a four-year hiatus (last held in 2019 in Iiyama), unfolding in Hakuba Valley, Nagano Prefecture from October 7 to 9, 2023  .

Format & Atmosphere

This event struck the celebrated “perfect party-to-race ratio”, blending the intensity of mountain bike enduro and gravel racing with festival elements—food, art exhibits, live music, and camping—all set against an epic alpine backdrop   .

Course Highlights
• Spanning approximately 80–95 km, the course wove through Hakuba Valley, featuring singletrack, flow trails, gravel roads, and scenic terrain with climbs and descents   .
• Participants tackled four timed race stages, plus an optional prologue on Saturday that had its own winner’s podium  .

Setting & Community
• The festival village—hosted at the iconic Olympic Ski Jump Stadium—hosted a vibrant mix of displays from international sponsors, live performance acts, and even ski jumping exhibitions   .
• Attendees enjoyed a festive yet relaxing environment amid spectacular autumn scenery, making it both a competitive and social highlight of the season  .

Competition & Notables
• The event concluded the 2023 Grinduro World Series, with hundreds of riders celebrating the final stop in Japan .
• Several riders opted for mountain bikes over gravel bikes for better technical handling. Notably, Junya Nagata, a Japanese enduro pro on a full-suspension MTB, took top honors and pledged to try a gravel bike next year .