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Iwate Morioka City Marathon race photo

Iwate Morioka City Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

JPOctober 202712.1km · 1.3km
掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
Race date Oct expected
October 2027
City · Distance
Morioka · 12.1km · 1.3km
Entry fee
フルマラソン12,000円From the 2025 edition
2027Date October 2027 · expected · Soon
2026Date Oct 4, 2026 · Entry Apr 1, 2026 ~ Aug 3, 2026 · Entry fee ¥6,600 · Start 09:00
Official website ↗
Instagram
D-day as of Oct 13, 2026
Iwate Morioka City Marathon race photo
掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Iwate Morioka City Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

The 2026 Iwate Morioka City Marathon is organized by the Iwate Morioka City Marathon Executive Committee and the Iwate Athletics Association.

Its theme is “Made by everyone, bringing the city to life.” Events include full marathon (field limited to 6,000),

Fun Run 12.1 km (2,000), Pair Run 1.3 km (300 pairs), Junior Challenge Run, Parent-and-Child Run, and an online marathon.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Iwate Morioka City Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 3
ユーヤ・サンタモニカRan in 2025 · Finish time 5時間4分7秒（ネットタイム）
“The time was 5 hours, 4 minutes, 7 seconds (chip time).”

The runner maintained a steady pace through 30 km but stopped on the climb at 36 km. Following the pacemaker's breathing advice, the runner got moving again and finished in 5:04:07 net time.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

タイムは5時間4分7秒（ネットタイム）。

Read the original on note
clvs1112Ran in 2025
“The headwind was much stronger than expected, and when someone said they did not know how long it would continue, I felt exactly the same.”

The runner started in pleasant weather of around 15°C and ran through the city center, residential areas, shopping streets, rice fields and along the levee. Although the runner's pace was affected by headwinds early on and uphill sections later in the race, the runner documented in detail the changes in the course, the support from spectators and the race organization.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

向かい風は予想以上にきつく、「いつまで向かい風なんだろうね」という会話が後ろから聞こえてきて、本当にそうだと思いました。

Read the original on clvs1112のラン日記
にむRan in 2025 · Finish time 3:00:33
“I completed the Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2025 safely, although it was tough, and enjoyed it.”

Nimu finished with a net time of 3 hours 00 minutes 33 seconds. Nimu ran through the uphill sections and fatigue after 30 km, and described how Nimu ran with a fellow runner until the midpoint and finished with a smile, encouraged by the support all the way to the end.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

いわて盛岡シティマラソン2025、開催ありがとうございました！キツくも楽しく、無事に完走しました✨

Read the original on note

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

【いわて盛岡シティマラソン2025 】ノーカットランナー目線&解説（2025年10月19日開催）【LIVE】

そま

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Iwate Morioka City Marathon — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

From the 2025 edition

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Registration platform RUNNET

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Iwate Morioka City Marathon course map and elevation

Your 12.1km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2025 edition
Runners start · local timeFrom 09:00
Time limit6 hours
EventStartTime limit
いわて盛岡シティマラソン202642.195km09:006h
Other12.1km09:301h45m

Full marathon 12,000 yen; Fun Run 6,600 yen; Pair Run 3,300 yen

START

Kitagin Ball Park

Start · Google Maps
FINISH

○full marathon: Kitagin Ballpark ○Fun Run: Morioka Hachimangu Shrine

Cutoff
Cut-off point 6 locations · 7.6km 10:35 ~ 38.0km 14:20

Show more

Runners start · local time — (full marathon) / 09:30(Fun Run) / 09:45(Pair run)

Full marathon (42.195 km) starts and finishes at Kitagin Ballpark (きたぎんボールパーク, 7-16-2 Nagai, Morioka, Iwate) and is a Japan Association of Athletics Federations-certified course.

The start is at 9:00, and time limit is 6 hours.

Fun Run (12.1 km) starts at Kitagin Ballpark and finishes at Morioka Hachimangu Shrine (9:30 start, 1 hour 45 minute time limit),

while the Pair Run (1.3 km) starts and finishes at Kitagin Ballpark at 9:45.

Course is designed around the concept of “course that you can enjoy while running through the streets of Morioka.” The course passes Mount Iwate,

rivers where salmon swim upstream, walkable streetscapes,

the central district with its castle ruins and former castle-town streets colored by the seasons, and newly developed areas.

Runners can experience Morioka’s history at Morioka Castle Site Park, the Red Brick Building, and Morioka Hachimangu Shrine.

The finishes for full marathon and the Pair Run are inside the Kitagin Ballpark stadium.

Course runs through urban areas, drawing enthusiastic support from local residents,

along with Sansa Odori drums, brass bands, and local junior-high school cheering squads.

Full marathon cut-off point are scheduled at the following points: 7.6 km at 10:35 (cut-off point 1), 13.1 km at 10:55 (cut-off point 2), 20.9 km at 11:55 (cut-off point 3), 28.2 km at 13:05 (cut-off point 4), 33.4 km at 13:45 (cut-off point 5),

and 38.0 km at 14:20 (cut-off point 6).

Fun Run has one at 7.6 km at 10:35. All events end at 15:00.

At that time, participants still on course must move onto the sidewalk, remove bib, and end their race.

Aid station has 12 stations at 5.4 km, 9.0 km, 13.3 km, 16.6 km, 19.4 km, 24.0 km, 26.7 km, 30.1 km, 32.9 km, 35.2 km, 37.4 km,

and 40.8 km, including water before the start and after the finish.

Water, sports drinks, and toilets are available at all stations.

Aid stations are located before the start, at 5.4, 16.6, 24.0, 26.7, 32.9, and 37.4 km, and after the finish.

Fun Run can use the first and second aid stations.

Distance-marker signs are placed every kilometer from the start to the finish,

and remaining-distance signs are placed every kilometer from 5 km before the finish.

Full marathon corral are assigned based on the self-reported finish time provided at registration;

depending on the block, it may take 10 minutes or more to pass start line after the start signal.

Field size
Full marathon 6,000 · Fun Run 2,000

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Finisher medal 2026

Finisher certificate 2026

Timing chip 2026

This may change for the next edition.

Where and when to collect your Iwate Morioka City Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

A race with 6,000 places for the marathon and 2,000 for Fun Run, where the finisher medal is made from Nanbu ironware.
Check the official website for runner check-in and bib collection details.

Stations & transport near the venue

  • Getting to the startIwate-Iioka Station (JR Tohoku Main Line) — walk to venue; alternatively bus/walk from Morioka Station

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Iwate-Iioka Station (JR Tohoku Main Line) — walk to venue; alternatively bus/walk from Morioka Station

Start/finish venue is Kitagin Ballpark, Morioka. No free parking at the venue — paid parking at designated lots reserved in advance (¥1,000, includes round-trip shuttle).

Official date 2026-10-04. Pre-race packet pickup day before (Oct 3) at Kitagin Ballpark.

Map

Getting to the finish

Kitagin Ballpark (same as start) for shorter distances; full marathon finishes at Morioka Hachimangu shrine

Runners finishing at Morioka Hachimangu bused back to Kitagin Ballpark on a free athletes-only shuttle after finish-line processing.

Map

Start shuttle

Paid shuttle bus (¥1,000, advance registration) links designated parking lots to the venue; separate free one-way shuttle from Morioka Hachimangu finish back to Kitagin Ballpark.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Participant check-in is held only at Kitagin Ballpark from 10:00 to 18:00 on Saturday, October 3, 2026, the day before the race.

Bibs will not be reissued, and there is no race-day check-in.

Participants who select the paid “bib advance mailing” option (600 yen postage) will have their materials sent in mid-September and will not need to check in the day before.

The previous-day check-in and advance mailing options cannot be changed after selection.

Safety pins are not provided, so participants must bring their own.

Timing uses an RS tag (Runner’s Spotag), attached to the shoelaces or similar with a cable tie.

The bib allocation is two bibs, one for the chest and one for the back, for runners registered with the athletics federation;

all others receive one chest bib.

Kitagin Ballpark has a baggage storage area and changing rooms, but participants are responsible for their own valuables.

Baggage storage and changing rooms are not available for the Junior Challenge Run or Parent-and-Child Run.

Fun Run participants can take a free shuttle bus to Kitagin Ballpark after finishing,

and those who did not leave baggage at the start venue may also disperse at Morioka Hachimangu Shrine.

Public transportation is recommended on the day before and race day.

The nearest station is JR Iwate-Iioka Station, about a 15-minute walk from Kitagin Ballpark.

Paid parking costs 1,000 yen on October 4, including a round-trip shuttle bus;

parking at the venue costs 5,000 yen (due to traffic restrictions, vehicles must enter by 8:00;

entry and exit are prohibited from 8:00 until restrictions east of the venue are lifted);

and parking at the venue on October 3 costs 3,000 yen.

For the round-trip shuttle bus, the last outbound service is scheduled for 7:30 due to traffic restrictions.

Aid station refreshments will include a wide selection of popular Morioka specialties, including local sweets and wanko soba.

Full marathon finishers receive a finisher medal made of Nanbu ironware and a finisher towel.

Your finisher certificate is generally available only as a web finisher certificate;

a paper finisher certificate is available as a paid 500-yen option and will be mailed about one month after the race.

The official finisher certificate costs 700 yen for members registered with the athletics federation.

As part of the event’s SDG initiatives, aid station paper cups are horizontally recycled, and the distribution of disposable safety pins has been discontinued.

The event also accepts registrations for “Relief Support Runners,” who hold qualifications as doctors, nurses,

practical nurses, or emergency medical technicians and provide initial assistance in emergencies during their own race.

Times are local to Morioka. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Time for you, before and after the finish

View all →

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

Where runners eat in Morioka

Eating well is part of the trip

View all →

A meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.

What to see in Morioka after the race

Seeing Morioka with the medal on

View all →

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

Hotels that make race morning easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Experiences, food and sights are travel products in Morioka.

Total cost and budget for Iwate Morioka City Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · Trip.comFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Iwate Morioka City Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Morioka runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Iwate Morioka City Marathon

FAQ
When does Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 take place?

Not officially announced yet.

It's expected in October 2027;

the 2026 race was held on Sun, October 4, 2026.

When does registration for Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 open?

Not announced yet. Entries for the 2026 race opened on Wed, April 1, 2026.

How much is the Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 entry fee?

Not announced yet. The 2026 race entry fee was about ¥6,600.

What is the time limit for Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027?

6 hours. (From the 2025 edition)

What distances does Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 offer?

Marathon. (From the 2025 edition)

What time should I arrive at the Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 start area?

Bib collection: October 3rd (Sat), 10:00–18:00 at Kitagin Ball Park.

(From the 2025 edition)

Where does Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 start?

Kitagin Ball Park. (From the 2025 edition)

Where does Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 finish?

○full marathon: Kitagin Ballpark ○Fun Run: Morioka Hachimangu Shrine.

(From the 2025 edition)

What are the Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 cutoff times?

Cut-off point 6 locations · 7.6km 10:35 ~ 38.0km 14:20. (From the 2025 edition)

Where can I book a hotel near the Iwate Morioka City Marathon 2027 start?

You can compare live prices for hotels around the start in Morioka in the STAY section of this page.

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