Skip to main content

Race Entries

Races in Japan usually close entry at least a month beforehand, often much longer. They generally do not have race day entry and race organizers are not willing to make special exceptions for foreigners. If you are coming to Japan for, say, a business trip in two weeks, it is not possible to enter a race. If you are making longer-range plans then it may be possible to find a suitable event using the following services:

Samurai Running Japan is a long-standing entry service that focuses on smaller races to help overseas visitors "experience the 'real' Japan."  Along with entry it assists with accommodations and transportation.

Launched in September, 2015, Runnet Japan is an English-language branch of Runnet, Japan's dominant online entry service, catering to the international community.  The number of races offered on Runnet Japan is still limited but constantly expanding.

Other entry services like Sports Entry, TecNet and the new Sportsnavi Do still offer only Japanese-language and domestic address service, but with swelling numbers of international runners at races across Japan they are bound to get in on the action soon.

Japan's 25 Biggest Marathons
2015 finisher totals except where noted
1. Tokyo Marathon - 35,293
2. Osaka Marathon - 29,680
3. Yokohama Marathon - 21,561
4. Naha Marathon - 18,326
5. Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon - 18,150
6. Nagoya Women's Marathon - 17,231 (women only)
7. Kobe Marathon - 17,087
8. Shonan International Marathon - 16,173
9. Kasumigaura Marathon - 15,601
10. Kyoto Marathon - 15,452
11. Itabashi City Marathon - 14,119
12. Okayama Marathon - 12,412
13. Tsukuba Marathon - 12,290
14. Katsuta Marathon - 11,808
15. Hokkaido Marathon - 11,778
16. Kanazawa Marathon - 11,447
17. Nara Marathon - 11,244
18. Chiba Aqualine Marathon - 11,066 (2014, bi-annual)
19. Kumamoto-jo Marathon - 10,959
20. Toyama Marathon - 10,483
21. Tokushima Marathon - 9,738
22. Fukuoka Marathon - 9,360
23. Ehime Marathon - 9,074
24. Shizuoka Marathon - 9,035
25. Kitakyushu Marathon - 8,957

© 2016 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Comments

Ashley said…
How can I find out when some races are? I am likely moving to Japan in September and would love to do a 10km there end of September or in October. I however am having trouble finding a run (co-ed). If you could advise me on where to look, or if you know of any runs I would appreciate your assistance.

ajherridge@rogers.com
January 3, 2010 at 11:16 PM
Unknown said…
Brett, I lived in Chitose, Hokkaido from 1997-2000. It took me from October to April to sort out the race entry system. But in the winter there were no races locally anyway. Do they still use the post office system for race registration or is everything on line now?
I know travel in Japan is expensive, but I can heartily recommend the Hokkaido Marathon, Chitose JAL, and Okhotsk. But the prettiest course is Toya Ko in May.
April 15, 2010 at 9:05 AM
Sean B said…
I am an ultra runner from Atlanta and I am looking for an ultra marathon or marathon Jan 22-30 in Japan, China, s korea etc...
can you help me out and or point me in the right direction?
thank you
Sean B
slimshaby@mindspring.com
April 16, 2010 at 1:38 AM
Anonymous said…
Hi,

Im currently living in Ishikawa Ken and a friend of mine as well as myself have been considering entering ourselves into the kumejima marathon in Okinawa.

I have tried to research how to enter online and have so far only succeeded in finding out the date of said race and the closing date for entrees.

Any help you could possibly give me would be a great help!! Also, if you know of any running clubs in Ishikawa Ken that would also be appreciated!!

Tom Cole
tom_cole_@hotmail.com
May 27, 2010 at 1:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Hi Brett

Thanks for your tips, really helpful.

I am very keen to enter the Niigata Marathon on 11 October 2015. I am wondering whether you are able to kindly provide any tips on how to enter or any sites I can go to for entry.

Cheers

Greta
July 28, 2015 at 7:58 PM
Brett Larner said…
It looks like Niigata sold out on July 8, sorry.
July 28, 2015 at 8:14 PM
Unknown said…
Hi Brett,
thank you for providing your help :)

We are coming to visit Japan in May and I was thinking of running a Half-Marathon during my visit.

I was doing some research by myself and could only find 1 races in May:Gifu City.

Do you know if the Fuji Susono Half Marathon takes place this year?

Are there any other runs?

thanks in advance,

gilles

January 5, 2016 at 10:32 PM
Brett Larner said…
Gilles--

Please contact me via the email address in my profile.
January 6, 2016 at 8:41 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Four Days in Osaka - 2023 World XC Gold Medalist Mirriam Cherop's First Experience of Japan, and Its First Experience of Her

The continuing decline of Twitter has had me thinking about ways it's impacted my life over the last 12 and a half years, from people I met there who became friends in real life, to people I'll never meet in person but would still consider friends, to work opportunities around the world, to intangible things like bass legend Jah Wobble liking a tweet of mine about being happy after a marathon I did earlier this year. After the current management took over someone had a thread going asking for concrete examples of Twitter's real-life impact. My contribution was about Mongolian marathon national record holder Ser-Od Bat-Ochir , who had asked me almost two years ago to find him a new sponsor in Japan after his previous corporate league contact expired. At some point I sent a DM about it to a very tenuous contact I had on Twitter, a Tokyo-area fashion designer I'd never met but had had a short Twitter exchange with a couple of months earlier. The designer couldn't help...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wanjiru and Kipkemei Take 10000 m Titles - National University Championships Day 1

Usually held in September right before ekiden season, this year's National University Track and Field Championships moved to early June to avoid conflicts with the Tokyo World Championships. Doubling up on her solo 10000 m win a month ago at Kanto Regionals , Sarah Wanjiru lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in 31:48.44. That was 16 seconds under the old meet record set by fellow Daito Bunka University runner and future Olympic 6th-placer Yuka Suzuki , and missed Wanjiru's PB by just over a second. Less than a second separated the next 3 finishers, with newcomer Mei Hosomi from Meijo University getting 2nd in 33:23.46, Wanjiru's DBU teammate Mariya Noda 3rd in 33:23.77, and Asahi Shirakawa from Tsukuba University off the podium in 33:24.17. Less than 2 weeks after rocking a 27:29.15 for 2nd in the National University Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier 10000 m , Nihon University 's Shadrack Kipkemei found himself in another close race, this one aga...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shimano Breaks 100 mH Collegiate Record - National University Championships Day 3

After a wind-aided 12.93 at the Fuse Sprint meet, Nihon Joshi Taiiku University 's Mao Shimano turned in the biggest performance of the 3rd day of this year's National University Track and Field Championships . Running the women's 100 mH final with a -1.8 m/s headwind, Shimano took 0.02 off her own collegiate record with a 13.02 for the win. That was also way under the old meet record of 13.23, and despite the wind 2nd-placer Rei Honda of Juntendo University made it under too with a 13.12 for 2nd. Another meet record fell in the women's 5000 m. After winning the 10000 m in a 31:48.44 MR on Thursday, Daito Bunka University 3rd-year Sarah Wanjiru took 5 seconds off her own 5000 m MR, dropping her only real competition Daisy Cherop of Josai Kokusai University on the last lap to win in 15:30.04 and complete the distance double. The 1st-year Cherop was 2nd in 15:39.52, with Juntendo's Airi Tajima 3rd in 15:57.14 in a 3-way sprint finish against Sayo Imanishi o...
Post a Comment
Read more