Hiroaki Matsunaga, originally from Shizuoka Prefecture and currently based in Niigata Prefecture, is a professional trail runner with over 20 years of experience. Trail running is an outdoor endurance sport that involves running on unpaved mountain trails and in natural environments. Throughout his career, he has competed in numerous trail and ultra-distance races around the world, including events in Europe, North America, Oceania, and Africa, achieving significant results in many international competitions.

Since 2006, he has served as the representative and head of Trail Runners, an organization based in Niigata Prefecture dedicated to organizing and producing outdoor sports events. Drawing on his extensive global racing experience, he oversees more than 20 major events annually across 10 locations throughout Japan — from Yamagata Prefecture in the north to Hyogo Prefecture in the south. These events range from the Trail Runners Cup (3–8 km), open to participants as young as three years old, to the internationally recognized DEEP JAPAN ULTRA 100 (160 km), a world-class ultra-endurance race. All of his initiatives are guided by a unifying mission: to create opportunities that inspire people and change lives. In addition to event management, he actively shares his experiences through social media, YouTube, and podcasts, while also introducing international races through magazine features and overseas running tours.