Distance
Start Time
Cutoff
Terrain
Difficulty
The main event is a certified 42.195km marathon that leaves Torimachi-suji in central Kumamoto and weaves through the historic castle town before finishing at Kumamoto Castle Park. Entry is open to runners born on or before 1 April 2008 (high school students excluded) who can complete the distance within 6 hours 40 minutes. The time limit is 7 hours from the starting gun and checkpoints are in operation along the route.
Start on Torimachi-suji in the heart of Kumamoto
Finish on the Ninomaru plaza of Kumamoto Castle Park
Continuous roadside crowds cheering runners on
Well-stocked aid stations
A final climb before the castle finish
Start / Finish
Torimachi-suji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto
Kumamoto Castle Park (Ninomaru Hiroba), Kumamoto
Terrain
Route
Getting There
Expo
Race Day
Recovery
What you get
Commemorative participation towel
Live results displayed to all runners
Foot bath and massage planned for participants
Organiser marathon insurance
12 first aid stations planned
On the day
Before you enter
Other questions
Entry runs from 10:00 on Tuesday 28 July 2026 to 17:00 on Thursday 24 September 2026. If applications exceed the field limit, places are decided by lottery.
With the family and friends entry, one representative can enter up to five people in total (four besides themselves), and the whole group is either successful or unsuccessful together. The 30km road race for JAAF registered athletes cannot be entered as a group; each runner must apply from their own account.
No. Multiple entries by the same person are all rejected, so please avoid duplicating an entry.
You must be a Japan Association of Athletics Federations registered athlete, complete your 2026 JAAF registration and keep your RUNNET My Page details (registered association, registration number, organisation, JAAF ID and name in roman characters) up to date before entries open. You must be able to run 30km within 2 hours, a pace of 4 minutes per kilometre, and pass the final checkpoint at 28.3km by 10:58.
The fun run is open to middle school students and above. The time limit is 1 hour 15 minutes, and runners must enter the Shimotori arcade by 9:40, pass Sunroad Shinshigai by 9:50 and clear the Symbol Promenade crossing by 9:55.
Kumamoto, Japan
Sunday, February 21, 2027
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€75
entry fee