Skip to main content

Calendar of Major Races

Races in bold type include nationally-broadcast and other first-tier events.

January
New Year Ekiden
Hakone Ekiden (secondary site here)
Oita Godo Half Marathon
Unzen Obama Half Marathon
Asahi Ekiden (R.I.P.)
All-Japan Women`s Interprefectural Ekiden (secondary site here)
Kita-Kyushu Women's Invitational Ekiden
All-Japan Men`s Interprefectural Ekiden (secondary site here)
Osaka Half Marathon
Osaka International Women`s Marathon (secondary site here)
Meigi Ekiden
Chugoku Yamaguchi Ekiden

February
Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon
Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon (secondary site here)
Kanagawa Half Marathon
Moriya Half Marathon
Himejijo 10 Mile Road Race
Karatsu 10 Mile Road Race
Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon (secondary site here)
Chiba International Cross Country
Chugoku Women's Ekiden
Ome Marathon 30 km (secondary site here and tertiary site here)
Fukuoka International Cross Country
Tokyo Marathon (secondary site here)
Kumanichi 30 km Road Race
Yutoku Half Marathon
Inuyama Yomiuri Half Marathon

March
Biwako Mainichi Marathon
Kanaguri Hai Tamana Half Marathon
Nagoya International Women`s Marathon
National University Half Marathon Championships (Tachikawa Akishima Half Marathon)
All-Japan Jitsugyodan Half Marathon (secondary site here)
Matsue Ladies Half Marathon (secondary site here)
Chunichi Toyohashi Half Marathon

April
Kanaguri Memorial Track and Field Meet
Yaizu Minato Half Marathon
Japan Invitational Track and Field Meet
Nagano Marathon (secondary site here)
Hyogo Relay Carnival
Oda Memorial Track and Field Meet

May
Shizuoka International Track and Field Meet
Osaka Grand Prix
Chugoku Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships
Sendai International Half Marathon
Kansai Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships
East Japan Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships
Kanto University Track and Field Championships
Golden Games in Nobeoka
Kyushu Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships

June
Niigata Time Trials
National University Track and Field Individual Championships
Hokuren Distance Challenge pt. I
All-Japan University Ekiden Yosenkai
National Track and Field Championships

July
Nambu Memorial
Hokuren Distance Challenge pt. II
Sapporo International Half Marathon
Fuji Mountain Race
Twilight Games
Shibetsu Half Marathon

August
Hokkaido Marathon

September
Ichinoseki International Half Marathon
Kawasaki Super Track and Field
National University Track and Field Championships
National Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships
Hakodate Half Marathon

October
Sapporo Half Marathon
Fukuoka Prefecture Road Championships (Omuta Road Race)
Nihonkai Ekiden
Kurayoshi Joshi Ekiden
Izumo Ekiden (secondary site here)
Niigata Big Athletics Festa
Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai
Takashimadaira Road Race
All-Japan University Women`s Ekiden (Morinomiyako Ekiden)
Kyushu Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden
Kyushu One-Circuit Ekiden

November
Yokohama International Women's Marathon
All-Japan University Ekiden (secondary site here)
Ageo City Half Marathon
International Chiba Ekiden
Kobe Women`s Half Marathon
East Japan Women's Ekiden
Awajishima Women's Ekiden
Biwako University Ekiden (secondary site here)
Kyushu Isshu Ekiden
East Japan Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden
Nagoya Half Marathon (secondary site here)
10000 m Time Trials National Long Distance Meet
Fuchu Tamagawa Half Marathon
East Japan Jitsugyodan Ekiden
Kyushu Jitsugyodan Ekiden
Fukui Super Ladies' Ekiden
Chugoku Jitsugyodan Ekiden
Kansai Jitsugyodan Ekiden
Hachioji Long Distance Track Meet

December
Fukuoka International Marathon (secondary site here)
Hofu Yomiuri Marathon (secondary site here)
Kumamoto Kosa 10 Mile Road Race
Naha Marathon
All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden
All-Japan Junior High School Ekiden
All-Japan High School Ekiden
All-Japan University Women`s Invitational Ekiden
Sanyo Women's Road Race
All-Japan Biwako Cross Country
Labels:

Comments

dadsweb said…
Hi. I really enjoy reading your blog and find it a really informative guide to the world of running in Japan. I was looking thhrough your list of races in Japan for an interesting race to do and thought the Sendai Half Marathon looked good. However when I checked the website it says you have to be a registered Rikuren athlete. I'm wondering how one becomes registered. I've had a look at the Rikuren website, but can't find any information there about it. Thanks in advance for any info you can give.
October 26, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Brett Larner said…
Hello, please email me at the address located in my profile. Include something about Sendai in the subject line.

Brett
October 30, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Janka said…
Hi, I will spend some time in Japan and I was lucky enough to get signed up for Osaka marathon. Could you suggest some other competetion (to help my preparation) between 20 and 30 km at the second part of September or very early October. If possible, not too far from Yokohama...

Thank you very much in advance :-)
July 16, 2015 at 2:38 AM
Brett Larner said…
Please contact me via the email address in my profile.
July 17, 2015 at 5:34 AM
Unknown said…
Hi Brett, can't seem to find your email address in your profile. Would like to know if there is any running events in Tokyo or nearby Tokyo. Thank you.

Mervyn
September 14, 2015 at 11:54 AM
Brett Larner said…
An email address at which you can contact me is listed at the end of my profile description. You can also try blarner (at) gol.com
September 14, 2015 at 1:31 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Chien Breaks TPE NR, Iwata Betters ID-Class WR - Weekend Track Roundup

The last weekend of the academic and fiscal year saw at least 5 meets with good results domestically and abroad. Kicking things off Friday was the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, where Tomohiro Shinno and Naoto Hasegawa took 1st and 3rd in the men's high jump, both of them only clearing 2.18 m along with 2nd-placer Roman Anastasios . 12 other Japanese athletes were in action on the second day of the meet on Saturday, where 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura ran 3:42.84 for 6th in the men's 1500 m. Nagiya Mori had a better one in the men's 3000 m with a 7:45.40 for 4th. Both Yota Mashiko and Rui Suzuki cleared 8:00 too, Mashiko's 7:53.84 the 2nd-fastest ever by a Japanese-born high schooler. Abigail Fuka Ido and Nagisa Takahashi both placed 3rd in their events, Ido going 23.85 (-0.9) in the women's 200 m and Takahashi clearing 1.82 m in the women's high jump. 8 Japanese men were at The TEN in California to run 10000 m. In the B-heat won by Edward Marks in ...
2 comments
Read more

JAAF Announces World Road Running Championships Half Marathon Team

The JAAF announced the men's and women's half marathon teams today for this fall's World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen: Women Yumi Yoshikawa (Canon) - 1:09:14 (1st, 2026 Osaka Half) Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:09:20 (1st, 2026 Nat'l Corp. Half) Rina Shimizu (Noritz) - 1:09:22 (2nd, 2026 Osaka Half) Yuna Takahashi (Shimamura) - 1:09:23 (3rd, 2026 Osaka Half) Men Tomoya Ogikubo (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 1:00:22 (4th, 2026 Marugame Half) Yuma Nishizawa (Toyota Boshoku) - 1:00:26 (5th, 2026 Marugame Half) Neo Namiki (Subaru) - 1:00:29 (6th, 2026 Marugame Half) Daisuke Sato (Chuo Univ.) - 1:00:40 (7th, 2026 Marugame Half) Mile and 5 km teams, if any, will be decided after June's National Track and Field Championships. © 2026 Brett Larner , all rights reserved
Post a Comment
Read more

Updates on Transfers

April 1 is the start of Japan's new academic and fiscal year, and there's always a wave of transfer announcements to go with it. Some notable ones yesterday: 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo skipped university to go straight to 2023 Queens Ekiden national champion Sekisui Kagaku after her graduation from Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. Multiple NR holder Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete. Already on the team for this fall's Nagoya Asian Games in the 10000 m, Ririka Hironaka announced a switch from her longtime home at Japan Post to the Uniqlo women's team. Collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda joined the 2026 national champion GMO corporate team after graduating from 2026 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University last week. Hakone Ekdien First Stage CR holder Rui Aoki joins the Sumitomo Denko corporate team after running his final race for 2025 Izumo Ekiden w...
Post a Comment
Read more