Participant's Voice: "It was a great initiative to run, pick up trash, and also lead to tree planting." Top Athletes Tackle "Beach Plogging" on Ishigaki Island, Collecting About 40 Bags of Trash While Running.

ASICS Japan held a "Plogging Challenge" on Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, as a unique domestic action for its global environmental conservation program, "Run for Reforestation Challenge 2026." On the day, 23 runners participated, including paratriathletes Hideki Uda and Asumi Yasuda, and former women's triathlon Japan representative Kiyomi Niwata. They ran through the beach area of Ishigaki Island, surrounded by crystal-clear blue seas and rich nature, picking up trash from the ground and breaking a pleasant sweat. This event is a program that directly converts each participant's 5km run into one tree planted, combining the joy of daily physical activity with the protection of the global natural environment. This event resulted in the achievement of 23 trees planted. Participants enjoyed plogging at their own pace for about 5km on a course centered around Shinei Park in Ishigaki City. In the end, they collected a total of about 40 bags of trash and even sorted it for subsequent disposal. While the beach was breathtakingly beautiful at first glance, a serious reality unfolded when they stopped to look closely. A participant commented, "It was fun to contribute to making my beloved Ishigaki Island even a little cleaner with everyone. I realized that there's more trash in various places than I usually notice, so from now on, I want to enjoy running while picking up trash even when it's not an event." Furthermore, as a token of deep gratitude from ASICS and a message of environmental conservation, special keychains were distributed to the participants. These keychains were made by collecting marine plastic that had drifted ashore on Ishigaki Island and turning it into beautiful marble-patterned items with the ASICS logo. These keychains, which positively transform the negative issue of waste, served as an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of a "circular society." Another significant social meaning of this event is that top athletes active on the world stage and general participants tackled environmental issues from the same perspective. Paratriathletes also rushed to the venue, ran the course together, and bent down to pick up trash. There were no barriers such as the presence or absence of disabilities or differences in competitive levels. Through sports, everyone naturally faced nature and joined hands on the same field, embodying the true form of the "symbiotic society" that ASICS aims for. Hideki Uda (Paratriathlete) It was very hot, but I'm glad we could all have fun picking up trash together. I was very happy that the amount of trash has decreased considerably compared to last year. Asumi Yasuda (Paratriathlete) There was more trash than I expected, and I was engrossed in picking it up while running 5km. There are still many places we couldn't clean, but I feel that by contributing even a little to the beautification of the environment, I can participate in the Ishigaki Island Triathlon with a good feeling. Kiyomi Niwata (Former Women's Triathlon Japan Representative) I feel that by continuing this every year, the amount of trash has been decreasing. There are still places with trash left, but with the feeling of giving back for being able to participate in the triathlon here every year, I worked hard to clean up Ishigaki Island. I'm very glad that so many people participated. Triathlon, which confronts the sea, wind, and earth, is a sport that has developed alongside environmental conservation. Based on its founding philosophy of "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body," ASICS believes that the global environment, which is the stage for people's health, must also be healthy. While Ishigaki Island has beautiful coral reefs, it also faces the serious issue of marine debris. Athletes who benefit from nature protect that field with their own hands. This philosophy and the purpose of the "Run for Reforestation Challenge 2026" resonated deeply, leading to the event being held in this location. ASICS upholds the brand slogan "Sound Mind, Sound Body," which represents its founding philosophy, "Anima Sana in Corpore Sano." To truly realize this brand slogan, it is a major premise that the global environment, where we can enjoy physical activity to our heart's content, is kept healthy. The plogging challenge on Ishigaki Island was a very meaningful time where everyone present shared and co-created the pure joy of becoming one with nature through sports, completely removing the barriers of disability or competitive level. ASICS will continue to move forward without stopping its steps toward a sustainable future, directly connecting the thoughts and actions born on Ishigaki Island to global tree-planting activities. Official Image Storage URL https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TxqJiYnMEyIfCME0BwP4kM1np7W222xx?usp=drive_link ASICS's founding philosophy is "Anima Sana in Corpore Sano" (A Sound Mind in a Sound Body), and its mission is to contribute to the physical and mental health of all people for generations to come. To achieve this, we believe the global environment must also be healthy. This program was planned based on this idea, hoping to provide an opportunity for each individual to think about their impact on the global environment by raising awareness and taking action amidst growing global concern about climate change. It has been running since 2023. So far, 50,253 people participated in 2023, 95,950 in 2024, and 102,711 in 2025, resulting in a cumulative total of about 250,000 trees planted. For 2026, the goal is to have 100,000 finishers. By completing a 5km run or walk using our fitness tracking app "ASICS Runkeeper," one tree will be planted through our partner, "One Tree Planted," an international NGO that conducts reforestation and ecosystem protection. The implementation period for 2026 is about one month, from April 1st to 30th, during Earth Month, which is considered a month for thinking about the global environment. Anyone can participate in this program for free. *In addition to running and walking, participation in trail running, wheelchair, hiking, and plogging (jogging while picking up trash) is also possible. https://runkeeper.com/ja/ 〇About One Tree Planted (https://onetreeplanted.org/) 〇About ASICS's Sustainability (https://corp.asics.com/jp/csr)