PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONJP / RACE GUIDE

Tokyo Challenge Marathon 2027

Name: 超ランナーファーストの大会！東京チャレンジマラソンで42km走してきた！！【マラソン/フルマラソン/ランニング/marathon/running/worloud/ダイエット】
Uploaded: 2026-02-02
Description: The start and finish are both in front of Nijino Hiroba on the Arakawa riverbank. The 10-kilometre loop course runs upstream and downstream along the river. From the 2027 edition, it will be a Japan

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Adachi
JP

Sergey Galyonkin · CC BY-SA 2.0Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0Kakidai · CC BY-SA 3.0Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 106 days: Jan 24, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Adachi · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee: フルマラソン13,500円ハーフマラソン8,800円Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenFri, July 17, 2026 ~ Mon, November 30, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Oct 10, 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 start and finish are both in front of Nijino Hiroba on the Arakawa riverbank.

The 10-kilometre loop course runs upstream and downstream along the river.

From the 2027 edition,

it will be a Japan Association of Athletics Federations-certified course and will count towards the All-Japan Marathon Ranking and half marathon ranking.

There are two events: full marathon and half marathon.

Full marathon is awarded in four age-group categories, with prize money.

This is the 12th edition.

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.

Stories from runners who've been there.

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

Race reports: 2

vrodxdaRan in 2025

“I ran my first full marathon today.”

The runner ran the first full marathon at Tokyo Challenge. The runner followed the 3:30 pacer group, but slowed significantly after 35 km because of stomach cramps and a strong headwind along the Arakawa River.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

本日初フルマラソンでした。

Read the original on Notes

スガワラケンタRan in 2021 · Finish time 2:55:27

“My first full marathon in a long time was tough!”

Kenta Sugawara battled stomach pain and nausea late in the Tokyo Challenge Marathon to improve personal best with 2 hours 55 minutes 27 seconds. Feeling good early on, Sugawara picked up speed but had to reduce pace amid stomach trouble and the final climb by the sluice gate.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

久々のフルマラソンはキツかった！

Read the original on マッスルランナーの爆走日誌

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

ミーゲー【そえ】マラソンのお兄さん · 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.

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

Registration platform RUNNET

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

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

Runners start · local timeFrom 10:00

Time limit4 hours 30 minutes

Event	Start	Time limit	Field size
Marathon42.195km	10:00	4h 30m	2,500
Half21.0975km	10:00	2h 30m	1,000

Full marathon 13,500 yen half marathon 8,800 yen

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

In front of Niji no Hiroba

Adachi Ward

Start · Google Maps

Cutoff
2nd turnaround point Direction: Cannot continue driving after 4 hours and 15 minutes full time and half marathon 2 hours and 15 minutes

Runners start · local time — (full marathon) / 10:00(half marathon)

Departure and arrival in front of Niji no Hiroba, one round trip up and down the Arakawa River is 10km course.

Course is a 10-kilometre loop course along the Arakawa riverbank, starting and finishing in front of Nijinohiroba.

From the start/finish area, the course runs approximately 3.5 kilometres upstream and 1.5 kilometres downstream before turning back.

Both full marathon and half marathon use two start waves.

Wave 1 starts at 10:00 a.m. and Wave 2 at 10:10 a.m. For full marathon,

registered members of the athletics federation or runners with a declared time of 3:29:59 or faster start in Wave 1;

those declaring 3:30:00 or slower start in Wave 2.

For half marathon,

registered members or runners with a declared time of 1:44:59 or faster are assigned to Wave 1, while those declaring 1:45:00 or slower are assigned to Wave 2.

The organisers allocate runners between the waves as evenly as possible, based on the declared result and target time submitted with the entry.

Timing points are located at the start and finish, 5 kilometres, the first turnaround point and the second turnaround point.

Chip time is measured, but the rankings are decided by gun time.

Finisher certificate is issued on paper and can be collected only by finishers from the distribution desk after the race.

There is no online finisher certificate.

Full marathon awards the top three men and women in each age group, while half marathon awards the overall top three men and women.

Full marathon has separate prizes for runners who achieve their target time, and the declared target time is printed on the paper finisher certificate.

Field size: Full marathon: 2,500 people half marathon: 1,000 people
Typical race-season temperature: around 3°C (37°F): Long sleeves + a throwaway layer for the start

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Bag drop

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

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北千住駅 Kita-Senju Station (JR Joban Line

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

北千住駅 Kita-Senju Station (JR Joban Line / Tokyo Metro Chiyoda & Hibiya Lines / Tobu Skytree Line / Tsukuba Express)

Approximately 15-minute walk from Kita-Senju Station to the venue, 虹の広場 (Niji-no-Hiroba / Rainbow Plaza), Adachi-ku, Senju 5-chome.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start — 10km loop course along the Arakawa riverbed, start and finish both at 虹の広場

Same station/walk as start (Kita-Senju Station, ~15 min walk).

Map

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.

Both the full marathon and half marathon start in the first wave at 10:00 a.m. The time limit time limits are 4 hours 30 minutes for full marathon and 2 hours 30 minutes for half marathon.

Cut-off point has two locations.

The point on the course leading to the second turnaround point from the finish cannot be passed after full marathon 4 hours 15 minutes or half marathon 2 hours 15 minutes.

The point leading to the final turnaround point from the finish cannot be passed once time limit has elapsed.

Bib is not distributed on site.

Athlete bibs and a set of race information will be mailed to the registered address around January 14, 2027, and there is no race-day registration desk.

According to the organizer, they are sent about 10 days before the race and arrive about 7 days before.

You may not be able to race without the pre-mailed packet and timing chip.

Aid station will be set up at four locations on course.

Sports drink and water will be provided, and energy gel will be served as food.

There are no toilets on course, and temporary toilets will be installed at the venue.

Medical tents are located at the start and finish.

Experienced pacer run with you.

The baggage storage area is shelves inside a tent, but valuables cannot be checked.

Separate changing tents for men and women are available,

and the organizer asks runners to come in clothing that is as runnable as possible to reduce congestion.

The waiting tent will be heated.

Special drinks may be placed only by full marathon entrants who have an official course record since January 2024 of 2 hours 30 minutes or faster for men or 3 hours or faster for women,

and who can submit finisher certificate.

Eligibility requires that full marathon be at least 18 years old, and half marathon be at least 15 years old.

The Entry fee fee is 13,500 yen for full marathon and 8,800 yen for half marathon.

The field is capped at 2,500 for full marathon and 1,000 for half marathon.

Registration is online only from July 17 to November 30, 2026, and no event changes, cancellations, or refunds are allowed after applying.

The venue is about a 15-minute walk from Kitasenju Station. There is no parking.

If the race is canceled because of weather or other reasons, it will be posted on the website by 5:00 a.m. on the day.

Times are local to Adachi. 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.

Urbain Tokyo Ueno Kitasenju

Hotel · 564m

8.2/10(784)

View on Booking.com

Tokyo Dry Head Spa Specialist King's Nap Kitasenju West Exit Branch

₩69,785

Tokyo Challenge Marathon 2027

About Tokyo Challenge Marathon 2027 — 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