(Autumn 2026) Gran Fondo Kita-Karuizawa | Cycling Festival ASAMA (＜2026秋＞グランフォンド・北軽井沢│サイクリング・フェスティバルASAMA)

A mountain long ride around the foot of Mt. Asama, starting from Kita-Karuizawa at an altitude of 1,100 m. The gran fondo runs on October 25 in four categories, including a special vintage bike class. The 100 courses cover 100.1 km (equivalent to 184 km on flat ground) with about 2,332 m of climbing, and the 80 courses cover 80.3 km (147 km equivalent) with about 1,843 m of climbing. The 100 km entry requires a previous finish of a mountain long ride of 100 km or more, or a flat long ride of 160 km or more.
On October 24, a rogaining event called Gourmet Fondo Kita-Karuizawa takes place with highland soft-serve ice cream, and run, walk and drive entries are accepted as well as bike entries.
The organizers define a vintage bike as one with a steel frame, non-binding pedals, outer-routed brake levers and a 20th-century build, but the final rule is that a rider who considers their bike vintage can enter it as one. The festival also supports Tandem Fondo Karuizawa, and donations go toward buying tandem bicycles so that people with disabilities can ride.