Made for the people who cheer.

Start a story

World Marathon Major · Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo Marathon is a flat, net-downhill city course run each March from Shinjuku through Asakusa and Ginza to Tokyo Station. It has one of the lowest ballot odds of any major, and strict time checkpoints.

The Tokyo Marathon course in Tokyo, from the start to the finish.
The course route, simplified. Check the official course map before race day.
Where and when
Tokyo, Japan · March
First run
2007
Field size
about 40,000
Average finish
about 4:09
How to get in
Very competitive lottery, charity programmes, or limited semi-elite places
Official site
marathon.tokyo/en

Dates, fees and rules change every year, so confirm on the official site before you plan.

About the Tokyo Marathon

Started in 2007, Tokyo is the series' Asian major and is known for its organisation, polite crowds and cold, dry spring weather. Entry is mainly through a ballot with very low odds.

Watch the Tokyo Marathon run again

This is what a RaceTale story does with a race day: it replays the whole course with your time, the route and every photo and cheer your family and friends added from any phone, in one private link.

Get the RaceTale app

How do you get a place in the Tokyo Marathon?

A highly competitive public lottery, official charity programmes, or a limited number of semi-elite places.

  • When entry opens: The public ballot usually opens in mid to late August for the following March.
  • Cost: About 19,800 JPY for domestic runners and $230 USD for international runners.

What is the Tokyo Marathon course like, and what is the cut-off?

A mostly flat, net-downhill city course from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, through Asakusa and the shopping streets of Ginza, finishing near Tokyo Station.

Cut-off: Seven hours measured from the starting gun, not your chip, so slower corrals have closer to 6.5 hours. There are nine intermediate checkpoint cut-offs, and missing one means leaving the course.

Where should spectators watch the Tokyo Marathon?

  • Asakusa and Kaminarimon Gate, about mile 17A temple district with a festival feel.
    Getting there: The Tokyo Metro Ginza Line or Toei Asakusa Line to Asakusa.
  • Ginza, miles 13 and 21Car-free shopping streets where the course loops back, so you can see your runner twice.
    Getting there: The Ginza, Hibiya or Marunouchi line to Ginza.

Work out when your runner reaches each spot with the spectator timing planner, set to this race's usual start time. Tracking and signal can fail in a crowd, so agree a meeting place and a time before race day. See how to get around a marathon as a spectator.

What are the weather, start times and tracking like?

  • Weather: Brisk and dry, about 6 to 11°C (42 to 52°F), with the skyscrapers blocking much of the wind.
  • Start times: Wheelchairs 9:05, then one start for all corrals at 9:10 am.
  • Tracking: The Tokyo Marathon app and a web tracker show runners by name or number, and follow the checkpoint cut-offs.

Is the Tokyo Marathon a good first marathon?

Tough: strict checkpoints (ranked 6 of 8 for a first-timer). A flat, well-run course, but the cut-off is measured from the gun and nine checkpoints are strict. See the full ranking of the eight majors.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a place in the Tokyo Marathon?

Mainly through the public lottery, with a charity programme and a small number of semi-elite places. The lottery usually opens in August.

What is the time limit?

Seven hours from the starting gun. Slower corrals can lose up to about 25 minutes just reaching the line, and there are nine checkpoint cut-offs.

How do the lottery odds compare?

Tokyo and London are widely reported as having the lowest odds of the majors, often a few percent.

Is Tokyo a good first marathon?

The course is flat, but the strict checkpoints make it stressful for a first-timer who might walk.

Where can I watch twice?

Ginza, where the course passes around miles 13 and 21, and then Asakusa, both on the Metro.

Plan your race day

The other majors