In the past decade or so, the number of trail runners in Japan has
increased greatly. With more and more people taking to the streets in their
(1)
spare time, interest in trail running has also picked up, especially during the
hot summer months when temperatures frequently top 30 degrees centigrade
(2)
and running on pavement can be punishing. It wasn't so long ago that the
COK
sight of a trail runner in the mountains would prompt surprised, if not
confused, (stare) from other hikers on the path. These days, however, coming
(3)
(4)
across a trail runner on a mountain path near major cities has become so
commonplace that no one even notices.
