A point-to-point Tokyo marathon from Shinjuku towards Tokyo Station, with several direction changes through the city. Learn the turn sequence and finish exit rather than relying on a perfect GPS trace.
01 Know what you are taking on
What is the race like?
The course, section by section
Open a section for the terrain and a practical pacing cue.
The Shinjuku startTokyo Metropolitan Government Building · Shinjuku
Large urban start with a route descending away from the western start area in the published profile.
How to approach it Use the start to settle your breathing and line. Do not overstride if the road feels easy; the crowded opening and security routine can make you impatient before the endurance work has really begun.
The northern city approachSuidobashi · Ueno-hirokoji · Kanda · Nihombashi
City roads and changing directions.
How to approach it Keep looking ahead through junctions and use official distance signs. A small pace fluctuation around a turn is easier to manage than a sudden acceleration that interrupts an otherwise sustainable rhythm.
Asakusa and the eastern districtsAsakusa Kaminarimon Gate · Ryogoku · Monzen-nakacho
Turns and city-road links rather than continuous straight running.
How to approach it Enjoy the landmarks while keeping your own route predictable. Make fuel decisions before you are distracted by the crowds and avoid moving sideways sharply to greet someone or reach a table.
Ginza and TamachiGinza · Tamachi
Sustained urban running with directional changes.
How to approach it Use this section to reassess whether the same effort is still manageable. Keep arms relaxed and resume rhythm gradually after turns instead of trying to turn every open avenue into a faster segment.
Hibiya and the station finishHibiya · Tokyo Station · Gyoko-dori Avenue
Final city streets into the marked finish approach.
How to approach it Save concentration for the correct final line and directions beyond it. A famous building is a useful mental landmark, but it does not tell you the exact remaining distance unless the course signs do.
Official maps & course details
- Course sequence
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to Ueno, Kanda, Nihombashi, Asakusa, Ryogoku, Monzen-nakacho, Ginza, Tamachi and Hibiya; finish at Tokyo Station/Gyoko-dori Avenue.
- Map and elevation
- The 2027-facing course page has a map and elevation profile; its downloadable illustration is named illustmap_2026en.pdf.
The linked 2026 route is a planning reference. The 2027 course and race-day arrangements may change.
02 Choose your approach
Find your race strategy.
Choose your goal. These are our pacing suggestions, based on the published course, rather than organiser instructions.
My first finish
Start calmly from your assigned area in Shinjuku.
Use Asakusa, the eastern section and Ginza as stages while following your fuel plan.
Keep enough for the later Tamachi and Tokyo Station approach.
A PB or time goal
Avoid weaving through the opening field.
Judge pace over official splits through turns and built-up streets.
Reassess late before committing to the actual finish approach.
If the weather or your pace changes
Use the actual Tokyo forecast near race week and account for waiting time before your wave. A cool start can still feel very different after several hours of running, so choose layers and food timing you can manage. Long-haul travel and altered sleep are more useful things to prepare for than a guessed temperature months ahead. Keep meals familiar before racing and avoid assuming every convenience-store food suits your stomach. If wind or rain changes the effort required, adjust the pace rather than trying to force a perfect chart through every district.
03 Know what is on the course
Drinks, fuel & toilets.
Station positions and products are not yet confirmed in the available information for this edition. Use the organiser’s final runner guide before deciding what you can collect on the course.
Toilet locations: a confirmed location list is not available here. Check the official course or runner map before race day; a drinks table does not automatically mean there is a toilet beside it.
Turn the station list into your plan
Mark the stops you expect to use and the fuel you will carry. If you use a gel that needs water, pair it with a published water point. Practise the products and cup or bottle format before race day; you do not have to try every item offered.
04 Before the start
Your race morning.
Times are local to the event. Work back from your own wave, allowing for the walk, toilets and bag drop.
Race number
Packet collection
Tokyo Big Sight South Exhibition Halls: 4–5 March 10:00–20:30; 6 March 10:00–17:30 JST. In-person collection is required; none on race day.
The start
Start and cutoff
Marathon start 09:10 JST; finish closes 16:10. The seven-hour limit runs from the gun; intermediate cutoffs also apply.
Kit rules & accessibility
- Guide runner
- Eligible runners unable to run independently because of disability may use one guide; guide animals are prohibited.
Your allocated wave, event emails and final runner instructions take priority. Read the guide for your distance before travelling.
05 Make the day work together
Supporters & getting around.
Plan your support
Choose one named public viewing point and a checked rail route to a second, rather than crossing the live course. Tokyo Station is the finish district, not necessarily your runner's exit or baggage location.
The places below are viewing ideas from the linked route or spectator guide. Use your edition’s access map for barriers, permitted crossings and any crew restrictions.
Asakusa course streets
A landmark to consider. The organiser’s previous spectator guidance requires underground passages or bridges rather than crossing the course.
Ginza / Hibiya course streets
A later city-side idea. The finish near Tokyo Station is controlled and busy; agree a separate permitted reunion point.
2026 spectator access guidance; confirm 2027 arrangements
Official spectator or route informationMake the cheer easy to find
Agree a named point, the side of the road and your likely arrival window. Share your bib number for official tracking. Pick a separate reunion beyond the finish exit and a backup if the phone signal is poor.
06 Before you book
Entry, fees & time limits.
General entry closed on 28 August 2026; its payment window ended 30 September. Official tour packages have separate availability.
Check official entry optionsWhat you need to enter
- Eligibility
- Age 19 or older on 7 March 2027, with the ability to complete the marathon within 6 hours 30 minutes.
- Entry fee
- Domestic entry: JPY19,800; international entry: USD230, including handling fee and tax.
- Drawing schedule
- General results were scheduled for 18 September; charity runner applications ran 24 June–9 July 2026.
- Official tours
- KNT lists regional official travel partners offering packages with guaranteed entries, subject to their own availability.
Transfers, refunds & deferrals
- Withdrawal and deferral
- Voluntary withdrawal has no refund or future-entry deferral. A documented pregnancy/childbirth exception allows one transfer to 2028, 2029 or 2030 with entry fees paid again.
Can you finish inside the time limit?
- Start and cutoff
- Marathon start 09:10 JST; finish closes 16:10. The seven-hour limit runs from the gun; intermediate cutoffs also apply.
Stay in the loop
Email me event updates.
Spend more time training and less time checking. Get the key updates for your race, straight to your inbox.
07 Make your training relevant
Practise for this course.
One thing to rehearse
Practise your own fuel and the drinks listed in the final runner guide. Check both the restricted start-area items and the finish exit instructions.
08 Put your plan together
Useful before race day.
Plan your pre-run fuel
Explore meals and snacks around the time you have before running.
Explore the fuel plannerMake race fuel feel familiar
Understand how to practise taking carbohydrate during longer runs.
Read the guideArrive ready, not worn out
Understand what changes in the final weeks before a marathon.
Read the guideA plan that fits your life.
Running, strength or both, with feedback and adjustments as your training develops.
Official race information
Use the organiser’s information for current entry terms, the published route and your final runner instructions. Course resources show their edition where it is known. Pacing and training suggestions are The Runner’s Journal’s guidance and should fit your experience, health and conditions.