Marathons in Japan: lotteries, cut-offs and race-day weather

Japan is one of the best countries in the world to run a marathon: huge, enthusiastic crowds, spotless organisation and aid stations that are a food tour in their own right. Its season runs from autumn to spring, with the big city races from late October to March. Below is every road marathon in Japan on iRun42, with how you get in and the cut-off time, which matters more here than almost anywhere else.

“Climb” is the total elevation gain of the course. “Usual start temp.” is the average temperature at the start time over the last 10 years on race day. Races are listed by next date; dates marked “est.” follow the race’s usual slot and are not yet confirmed. Entry rules and cut-offs change, so check the official site before you plan.

Getting in: lotteries and first-come races

The famous city marathons, such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Fukuoka, fill their fields by lottery, often with separate entry for overseas runners and places sold through official tour operators. Many regional marathons are first-come, first-served, and some sell out quickly. A few race sites and registration pages are only in Japanese: a browser translation is usually enough, and the largest races have English pages.

Respect the cut-offs

Japanese races enforce their time limits strictly, often with intermediate checkpoints along the course where you are stopped if you arrive late. Six hours is common and some elite-focused races allow far less, so check the cut-off column before entering and plan your pace for the checkpoints, not just the finish.

Weather: cool and dry, with warm exceptions

Most of the season is close to ideal: winter races on the main islands usually start cool and dry. Okinawa and the far south are the exception, with races that start warm even in winter, and the few late-summer races in the north can be warm too. The start temperature column shows which is which.

Planning the trip

Many runners combine a race with a few days of travel. Rail connections between cities are fast and frequent, and a race in a smaller city is a good way to see a part of Japan most visitors miss. Book accommodation as soon as you have a place, as hotels near popular races fill up on race weekend.

Compare any of these side by side, or filter by month, climb and temperature in the race finder. For the rest of the region, see winter marathons in Asia.