🇯🇵Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Marathon
Expected March 2027
Distance
42.2 km
Elevation gain
112 m
Terrain
Road
Entry type
Lottery
PB potential
Excellent PB course — flat, fast, and well-paced
Beginner friendly
Suitable for beginners with solid training
About this race
The Tokyo Marathon winds through some of Japan's most iconic landmarks — from Shinjuku's skyscrapers to Asakusa's Sensō-ji temple and the Imperial Palace moat. The course is largely flat with a few gentle rollers in the first half, making it a genuine PB candidate in ideal March conditions. Crowd support is extraordinary by global standards: taiko drummers, costumed volunteers, and rows of spectators offering high-energy cheering that propels runners through Asakusa and Ginza. The lottery acceptance rate for international runners is around 2%, so a charity entry or bib transfer is often the most realistic path to the start line. Aid stations offer everything from sports drink to banana and salt tablets, spaced every 5 km.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
7–14°C
Humidity
55–65%
Conditions
Cool and partly cloudy
Wind
10–15 km/h NW
Who this race suits
PB-chasers and World Major collectors who can secure a place. The flat, well-drilled course rewards even pacing — the ~2% international lottery rate makes getting in the hardest part.
Strong PB potential in cool March conditions. Not a typical first-marathon race for international runners: the lottery and travel commitment make it a bucket-list target rather than a debut.
Overview
- Field size
- ~38,000 finishers
- Course type
- Point-to-point, largely flat
- Average finish
- ~4:10–4:30
- Cut-off time
- 7 hours
- Aid stations
- Roughly every 5 km — water and sports drink, food later in the race
- Pace support
- Official pacers for common target times
Course intelligence
- Profile
- Largely flat with gentle rollers in the first half — a fast, honest course
- Surface
- Asphalt city roads throughout
- Highlights
- Shinjuku start, Imperial Palace moat, Asakusa's Sensō-ji temple, finish near Tokyo Station
Registration
- How to enter
- General lottery, charity places, or overseas tour operators with guaranteed entry
- Lottery odds
- Very competitive — around 1 in 10 overall, lower for international applicants
- Registration opens
- General lottery typically opens around August for the following March
- Entry cost
- ~¥23,300 domestic; higher for international and charity entries
Race weekend
- Expo
- Tokyo Marathon EXPO at Tokyo Big Sight — in-person bib pickup is mandatory (no race-day collection)
- Start area
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku
Travel & logistics
- Best airport
- Haneda (HND) is closest; Narita (NRT) is also well connected
- Getting around
- Excellent metro and JR rail — a Suica or PASMO card covers most transit
- Where to stay
- Shinjuku for start proximity, or any central hub on the metro
Runner tips
- Bib pickup is in person at the expo and closes before race day — arrive with time to spare.
- March mornings are cold at the start; bring throwaway layers for the long wait.
- Security screening is thorough — allow extra time entering the start area.
Entry information
Next edition date estimated — confirm exact date with the official site.
Pace Band
Generate a free elevation-adjusted pace band for Tokyo Marathon. Print it, wear it, hit your splits.
Build my pace band →Find your next race
Races runners like you consider
Similar to Tokyo Marathon
Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei Marathon
Dec 20, 2026 · Road · ↑ 135 m
Registration openA well-organised city marathon through Taipei's diverse neighbourhoods, with December's cool subtropical winter making for comfortable racing conditions.
Seoul, South Korea
Dong-A Seoul Marathon
Mar 15, 2027 · Road · ↑ 145 m
Lottery closedOne of Asia's oldest and most competitive marathons — a tough but rewarding route through Seoul's historic and modern districts in crisp spring conditions.
Osaka, Japan
Osaka Marathon
Feb 1, 2027 · Road · ↑ 90 m
Lottery closedJapan's second city delivers a flat, fast February marathon through Osaka's business districts, riverside promenades, and raucous food-centric streets.
Other World Marathon Majors
See all →
World MajorChicago, USA
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Oct 11, 2026 · Road · ↑ 30 m
Lottery soonThe flattest World Major — a loop through 29 of Chicago's neighbourhoods with the most inclusive crowd energy in American marathon running.
World MajorBerlin, Germany
BMW Berlin Marathon
Sep 27, 2026 · Road · ↑ 61 m
Sold outThe world's fastest marathon course — dead flat, perfectly organised, and the site of more world records than any other race.
World MajorLondon, United Kingdom
TCS London Marathon
Apr 26, 2027 · Road · ↑ 84 m
Ballot liveThe world's most celebrated mass participation marathon — past the Tower of London, along the Thames, and through the roar of one million spectators.
More fast, PB-friendly courses
See all →Fukuoka, Japan
Fukuoka International Marathon
Dec 6, 2026 · Road · ↑ 40 m
OpenOne of the world's oldest and most prestigious elite marathons — a flat point-to-point course through Fukuoka in ideal December conditions, with a history stretching back to 1947.
Suzhou, China
Suzhou Marathon
Nov 22, 2026 · Road · ↑ 40 m
Lottery openChina's fastest marathon — a dead-flat World Athletics Label course through Suzhou's classical garden network, along the ancient Grand Canal, and through the UNESCO-listed water-town of Tongli.
Chengdu, China
Chengdu Marathon
Mar 29, 2027 · Road · ↑ 95 m
Lottery openSichuan's World Athletics Label marathon — past the Tianfu Greenway, through Chengdu's teahouse-lined alleys, along the Jinjiang River, and into the ancient Jinli Street of China's most liveable city.
Explore the region
More Asia marathons
Fukuoka, Japan
Fukuoka International Marathon
Dec 6, 2026 · Road · ↑ 40 m
OpenOne of the world's oldest and most prestigious elite marathons — a flat point-to-point course through Fukuoka in ideal December conditions, with a history stretching back to 1947.
Suzhou, China
Suzhou Marathon
Nov 22, 2026 · Road · ↑ 40 m
Lottery openChina's fastest marathon — a dead-flat World Athletics Label course through Suzhou's classical garden network, along the ancient Grand Canal, and through the UNESCO-listed water-town of Tongli.
Shanghai, China
Shanghai Marathon
Nov 29, 2026 · Road · ↑ 40 m
Lottery openChina's fastest marathon — a near-flat loop along the iconic Bund waterfront, through Lujiazui's glass skyscrapers, and across the Huangpu River bridges.