The ‘Snow Golf Triathlon 2022,’ an event in which participants compete in three disciplines – golf, running and cycling – on snow, was held for the first time on February 19 at the Golf 5 Country Bibai Course in the city of Bibai in the Sorachi region of central Hokkaido.

In addition to snow golf, the golf course has also been holding snow cycling events as a way of utilizing the course in winter. Golf Digest Online (GDO, Tokyo), which runs a golf information website, organized the event, saying, “If we combine the two and include a run, it will create an interesting new triathlon.”
　
Fifteen participants from Bibai and elsewhere competed under clear skies, with the total number of strokes and elapsed time determining the winner. The competitors began with a 5-km run, followed by a 2-km ride on a bicycle with fat, 10 cm-wide tires, and finished with a 4-hole (par 15) round of golf.

The winner was Kurosaka Yuta, a company employee from Sapporo, who completed the run in 25 minutes, 14 seconds, cycled for 11 minutes, 20 seconds, and completed the golf one over par. “The bike handling was difficult in parts but the snow golf was fun,” said a smiling Kurosaka.

A representative from GDO was satisfied with the event, saying, “The response from the participants was very positive. We would like to continue this event in the future with the aim of helping revitalize a region with heavy snowfall.”