About Kurihara Half Marathon 2026 — what makes it special
ABOUT THE RACE
A day you'll remember, long past the finish line.
A half marathon held in Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture.
The course has relatively little elevation change, and runners enjoy views of Mt. Kurikoma's autumn foliage along the course.
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.
Kurihara Half Marathon 2026 runner reviews and race reports
Stories from those who ran it first.
From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.
Race reports: 3
参加者投稿（2023）Ran in 2023
“I completed my first race safely with a personal best, despite the cold, before the rain started. With almost no elevation changes, it is a good course. I definitely want to participate again next year.”
A 2023 participant finished with a personal best despite the cold weather, praised the course for having almost no elevation change, and said they want to race it again.
“I finished the Kurihara half marathon Marathon. My time was 1 hour 17 minutes 52 seconds.”
The runner ran steadily until the halfway point in the cold weather, but cramps in the thighs and calves hit during the second half, so the runner slowed the pace. The runner finished in 1 hour 17 minutes 52 seconds and placed 8th in the 40s age category.
“This is the peaceful Kurihara half marathon. I will write a race report.”
The runner traveled by the Tohoku Shinkansen for their first participation. The runner wrote about the stadium shuttle buses, the restroom situation, and waiting for the start while watching the migratory birds at Lake Izunuma.
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.
Cut-off Cut-off point Near 16km point 2 hours 00 minutes from the start gun, final time limit 2 hours 40 minutes from the start gun
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Runners start · local time — (half marathon(21.0975km)) / 10:30(10km) / 10:20(5km) / 9:00(3km) / 9:25(2km)
Events include the 10 km, 5 km, and half marathon.
The race starts at 10:00 AM local time in front of Kurihara Municipal Wakayanagi Junior High School.
Field size
Half marathon: 800 people 10km: 200 people 5km: 100 people 3km: 100 people Parent-child tour: 200 groups
Typical race-season temperature: around 9°C (49°F)
Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers
Participant benefits
Not yet confirmed in the official race guide
Where and when to collect your Kurihara Half Marathon 2026 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
Details on registration and athlete bibs could not be confirmed in the publicly available information. Since advance mailing or same-day collection is common for races in Japan, check the event guide (participant notification).
Stations & transport near the venue
Getting to the start
くりこま高原駅 (Kurikoma-Kogen Station, Tohoku Shinkansen) or 石越駅 (Ishikoshi Station, JR Tohoku Main Line)
Start/finish near Wakayanagi Junior High School in Kurihara City, Miyagi.
Free shuttle buses run from both Kurikoma-Kogen Station (bullet train stop) and Ishikoshi Station (local JR line) to the venue,
as well as from designated parking lots.
Getting to the finish
Same as start area — Wakayanagi Junior High School vicinity, shuttle back to both stations
Runners can take the same free shuttle service back to either station after the race.
