KYOTO MARATHON 2026

Event Name	KYOTO MARATHON 2026
Main Concepts	“DO YOU KYOTO? Marathon” and “Everyone is a hero”
Objectives	Promotion of citizen sports Presenting the wonders of Kyoto to Japan and to the world Revitalization of Kyoto/Japan
Organizers	Kyoto City, Kyoto Athletic Association
Co-organizers	Kyoto City Gymnastics Association, The Kyoto Shimbun Newspaper Co., Ltd., Kyoto Broadcasting System Company Limited, α-STATION (FM-Kyoto Inc.)
Planning and Operation	Kyoto Marathon Executive Committee
Managing Organization	Kyoto Athletic Association
Operation Support	Kyoto Sports Association for the Disabled, Kyoto City Sports Promotion Committee, Kyoto Medical Association, Kyoto Private Hospital Association, Kyoto City Hospital Organization, Kyoto Nursing Association, Kyoto EMT Association, Kyoto Tachibana University, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, The Kyoto City Liaison Council of Local Women’s Societies, Association of Kyoto Runners (tentative)
Supporting Organizations	Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), Japan Association of Athletics Federations, Japan Sports Agency, Japan Tourism Agency, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, Kyoto City Board of Education, Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kyoto City Sports Association, Kyoto Convention Bureau, Kyoto City Tourism Association, Kyoto Shopping Streets Association, NHK Kyoto (Japan Broadcasting Corporation Kyoto Branch), The Asahi Shimbun Company Kyoto Bureau, The Mainichi Newspapers Kyoto Branch, The Yomiuri Shimbun Kyoto Bureau, The Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. Kyoto Bureau, Nikkei Inc. Kyoto Branch, K.K. Kyodo News Kyoto Branch, Jiji Press Ltd. Kyoto Bureau, J:COM(tentative)
Events	Marathon (42.195 km) Pair-Ekiden (1st Stage: approx. 27.6 km, 2nd Stage: approx. 14.6 km) Wheelchair race (6.1 km)
Date & Time	Sunday, February 15, 2026 08:55: Wheelchair race start 09:00: Marathon and pair-Ekiden start 15:00: Marathon and pair-Ekiden finish
Maximum Number of Entrants	Marathon: 16,000 runners Pair-Ekiden: 250 pairs (500 runners) Wheelchair race: 20 athletes * The above numbers include participants recommended by organizers.
Time Limit	Marathon & pair-Ekiden: 6 hours (based on gun time)
Courses	Marathon and pair-Ekiden Start at TAKEBISHI Stadium Kyoto（Nishikyogoku Athletic Park）and finish in front of Heian-jingu Shrine (course certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations [JAAF], International Association of Athletics Federations [IAAF], and Association of International Marathons and Distance Races [AIMS]) * Relay point for pair-Ekiden: Kyoto Botanical Gardens Wheelchair race TAKEBISHI Stadium Kyoto（Nishikyogoku Athletic Park）to Arashiyama
Cutoff Time and Checkpoints	For reasons of traffic control, security, and event operation, the cutoff time will be enforced at each checkpoint. Regardless of the time limit at checkpoints, during the race, if a contestant’s progress is extremely delayed, race officials may disqualify him/her from the race.
Competition Rules	The races will be conducted in accordance with the 2025 rules and regulations of the JAAF and this competition.
Awards	Marathon ①Men and women: First 20 runners for each ②Men and women by age groups (every 5 years): First 3 runners for each ③Men and women who are residents of Kyoto City : First 8 runners for each * At the awards ceremony, the awards will be presented to the top 8 runners in category 1 described above. Certificates will be sent to other award-winning runners at a later date. * No awards for pair-Ekiden Wheelchair race First 3 runners
Eligibility	Marathon and pair-Ekiden ①Participants must have been born before April 1, 2007. ②Participants must be able to complete the race within 6 hours. (Participation by wheelchair is not permitted.) Wheelchair race Participants must be wheelchair users as of February 15, 2026, with a physical disability certificate issued pursuant to the provisions in Article 15 of the Act on Welfare of Physically Disabled Persons (1949 Act No. 283). Participants must also have received a recommendation from the Kyoto Sports Association for the Disabled and have been accepted by the organizer.
Entry Fees	Marathon: Domestic participants (Kyoto City participants): JPY18,500; Domestic participants (Non-Kyoto City participants): JPY19,500; Overseas participants: JPY35,000 Pair-Ekiden: JPY34,000 (for a pair) Wheelchair race: JPY3,000 * Overseas participants who apply for the event on the English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese website are not eligible to participate in the pair-Ekiden and wheelchair race.
Application	Applications must be made online. * In the case of excess applications, participants will be chosen by lottery. * Overseas Runner :first-come, first-serbed.
Check-In	Friday, February 13, 2026 Saturday, February 14, 2026 * No check-in will be accepted on the day of the race (February 15). * ID must be presented at check-in (no substitutions permitted). Place: Miyako-Messe (Kyoto International Exhibition Hall)
Others	Only registered applicants are eligible to compete in the race. (Substitutions are not permitted.) Participants may not wear costumes or exhibit any advertising materials, such as designs and trademarks that signify company/product names, at the event venue or on the courses. Voluntary contributions accepted at the Kyoto City Sports Promotion Fund (1,000 yen per donation)

Event Information