There are plenty of challenging roads on the Coast to Coast Twistybutt. From cliff hangers to narrow dirty roads to finger freezers.

But only one road on the C2C has taken three riders down. It’s not super fast, off camber or strewn with dirt, nor does it have dopy deer or blind cresting corners.

What it does have is the wear and tear of hard cold winters with dips, bumps and snow cracks filled with big long fat tar snakes that get hard and slippery when cold.

Doesn’t help that most riders run it around 6-7 hours into the ride, fatigued just before lunch. ALSO, it’s the downhill run from the second highest road on the route and has some nice scenery and straights at the top to lull you into tourist riding instead of tar snake dodging.

It’s the Marchen Road on the 500 course. Pronounced Meruhen kaido or メルヘン かいど。It’s on the western leg of the lengthy 299 running all the way to Western Tokyo.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xFgD6aigwaYc8DKd7

So, for all you 500 runners, STAY ALERT, read the road, SLOW DOWN and give this piece of road the RESPECT it deserves, even if it doesn’t look that nasty.