PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONJP / RACE GUIDE

Kagawa Marugame International Half

Name: Japan’s most competitive half-marathon, Marugame half-marathon startline! 👀
Uploaded: 2026-02-01
Description: The Kagawa Marugame International half marathon is held every February in Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture, on Japan's Shikoku island. The 2027 edition will be the 79th. The event is based at Shikoku Kasei

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Marugame
JP

Toto-tarou · CC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons · Naokijp, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · Toto-tarou, CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date in 115 days: Feb 7, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Marugame · 21.1km
Entry fee: ¥10,000From the 2026 edition
Status: OpenMon, September 14, 2026 ~ Fri, November 13, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Oct 15, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

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

The Kagawa Marugame International half marathon is held every February in Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture, on Japan's Shikoku island.

The 2027 edition will be the 79th.

The event is based at Shikoku Kasei Meglio Stadium, also known as Kagawa Prefectural Marugame Stadium,

and includes half marathon, 3km and a primary-school relay covering four legs and approximately 4.5km.

The next confirmed edition will take place on February 6–7, 2027, with the half marathon main event on February 7.

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.

#KagawaMarugameInternationalHalf#Marugame#Overseas Marathon#February Marathon#Half marathon

Stories from runners who've been there.

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

Race reports: 3

TOMORan in 2026 · Finish time 1:26:12

“I had hoped to run in the 1-hour 22-minute range, but it did not happen at all.”

A Marugame half marathon participant's pace dropped because of a headwind and gentle climbs in the latter stages, and they also documented getting around by airport and bus.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

1時間22分台で行けるとかなと期待していましたが、全然ダメでした。

Read the original on tomo.run

ミーヤ@旅ランナーRan in 2026 · Finish time 1:24:18 (ネット)

“The result was chip time in 1 hour 24 minutes 18 seconds, setting a new personal best.”

The writer traveled by overnight train to take part in the 2026 Kagawa Marugame International half marathon and set a net time of 1 hour 24 minutes 18 seconds personal best.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

結果は1:24:18（ネット）で自己ベストを更新でした。

Read the original on note

ユースケ/サブ３挑戦ランナーRan in 2026 · Finish time 1時間21分58秒

“On February 1, 2026, I took part in the 78th Kagawa Marugame International half marathon, held in Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture.”

The writer faced strong winds at the 78th Kagawa Marugame International half marathon, their first large-scale race, and finished in 1 hour 21 minutes 58 seconds.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

2026年2月1日。香川県丸亀市で開催された「第78回香川丸亀国際ハーフマラソン」に出場してきました。

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.

Finisher vlog

Tempo · Finisher vlog

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 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 2026 edition

First come, first served

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through RUNNET, and will close when capacity (approximately 10,000 people) is filled.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 21.1km

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

Runners start · local timeFrom 10:35

Time limit3 hours

Half marathon 3 hours

Event	Start	Time limit	Field size
Half21.0975km	10:55	3h	7,500
ハーフマラソン登録・一般男女B21.0975km	10:45	—	2,500

START · FINISH

四国化成MEGLIOスタジアム（香川県立丸亀競技場）, 丸亀市

Start · Google Maps

Original course map · gcy.jp

Runners start · local time — Division A 10:35 · Division B 10:45 · Division C① 10:55 · Division C② 11:00

The race starts and finishes at Kagawa Prefectural Marugame Stadium.

It follows Prefectural Route 33 through Marugame and Utazu, turning around at Motomachi in Sakaide before returning along the same course.

This urban course crosses the Sanuki Plain from east to west and has a maximum elevation difference of just 21.3m, making it almost entirely flat.

It is consequently known as a fast course that has produced numerous Japanese and Asian records.

Field size: 일반B·등록C 7,500명, 등록B 2,500명
World Athletics Label: Elite Label
Organizer: Marugame City / Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education / Marugame City Board of Education / Kagawa Track and Field Association / Kagawa Marugame International half marathon Tournament Organizing Committee
Typical race-season temperature: around 6°C (42°F): Long sleeves + a throwaway layer for the start

Participant benefits

Finisher certificate

Bag drop

Finisher T-shirt

Start shuttle

To the start line,
step by step.

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

From the 2026 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

This is not on-site collection: athlete bibs (bib), shoe tags and programme vouchers are mailed to the registered address in early January.
Be sure to check and update your address and name in the RUNNET My Page in advance; overseas participants should confirm the collection procedure separately.
2/6~2/7 Designated time for each event

In the stadium

bib is sent by mail in advance

Google Maps Directions

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startJR Marugame Station (JR Yosan Line)
Transit cardGet any nationwide Japanese IC card (ICOCA, Suica, etc.) for JR trains through Marugame Station, and use the regional IruCa card for Kotoden-operated local community buses — the two systems are separate but interoperable IC cards work across most of them. Where to buy
Getting to the finishSame venue as start - Kagawa Prefectural Marugame Stadium

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 · Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

JR Marugame Station (JR Yosan Line)

From JR Marugame Station, take the free shuttle bus or Marugame City community bus (Josei Koko-bound line) to the Marugame Stadium stop (~13 min), then ~1 min walk to venue (Kagawa Prefectural Marugame Stadium / Shikoku Kasei MEGLIO Stadium). By taxi from station, ~10 min.

Traffic-control PDF found covers National Route 11 through Prefectural Route 33, road closures 10:05-14:00 -- explicitly for 78th edition (2026-02-01), not the 2027 edition. Venue parking limited and lottery-based; public transportation or shuttle bus recommended due to expected congestion.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same venue as start - Kagawa Prefectural Marugame Stadium

Half marathon starts and finishes at the same stadium; finish reached via same JR Marugame Station + shuttle/community bus route as start.

Map

Start shuttle

Free shuttle bus runs event day between JR Marugame Station and venue, also from temporary parking lot. Specific operating hours currently shown are dated for the 78th edition (2026-02-01), not yet updated for the 79th edition (2027-02-07).

Transit card

IruCa (regional card) — nationwide IC cards (ICOCA/Suica/etc.) also work on JR trains

IruCa: Kotoden train station counters (e.g. in nearby Takamatsu); ICOCA/Suica-type cards: JR ticket machines/counters at Marugame Station

Not accepted at the gates — get the local card above Marugame is a small city, so IC card infrastructure is thinner than in Tokyo or Osaka.

Japan's ten major IC cards are nationally interoperable for most trains and many buses, but this hasn't been separately confirmed for every Marugame community bus route — carry some cash as backup. No source confirms foreign contactless bank cards work directly at gates here.

Where to buy

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 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.

Bib and record tags attached to shoes are received by mail in advance.

If the shipping address has changed, you must update your RUNNET details and notify the race office.

The record tag you receive must be attached to your shoelaces, and you must also take care of the return procedures after completing the race.

If you are unable to return the tag, the official FAQ instructs you to send it to the race office inside Marugame Citizen's Gymnasium.

Access to the stadium is easy from JR Marugame Station.

The organizers operate a free shuttle between the station and the stadium on both days of the competition.

By choosing accommodation near a station, you can connect your train arrival and shuttle ride on one route.

The free bus departing from Takamatsu Station only operates on days when half marathon is held,

and is assigned by lottery among those who applied at the time of registration, so do not plan on using the bus to cover all round-trip travel.

Vehicle participants will need a parking pass issued by the competition.

Even if there are temporary parking lots around the stadium, vehicles without a parking permit cannot use the competition parking lot.

Please check the parking allocation and shuttle boarding location in the information you received with bib and then proceed.

Considering the site congestion, the organizers recommend using public transportation and shuttles.

Times are local to Marugame. 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.

Apa Hotel Marugame Ekimae Odori

Hotel · 3.1km

7.5/10(1308)

View on Booking.com

Mývatn: Natural Hot Springs Admission Ticket

¥10,526

View on GetYourGuide

Kagawa: Local Udon Restaurant-Hopping Experience

¥18,925

View on GetYourGuide

Kochi: Private Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers

¥62,653

View on GetYourGuide

深山邸miyama-teiの一棟貸し

Accommodation · 4.0km

8.9/10(32)

View on Booking.com

Marmaris: Turkish Bath Experience (Oil Massage and Transfers Included)

¥1,531

View on GetYourGuide

Romantic Deluxe Concerto Cruise in Kobe

¥4,318

Kagawa Marugame International Half

About Kagawa Marugame International Half — what makes it special

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

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run