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Guide to the Osaka Marathon (February)

As part of our list of resources for visitors to Osaka City, we provide some details about the Osaka Marathon, held in February each year; one of five marathons held in the city of Osaka.

See our full list of marathons in Osaka for a complete list of Osaka marathon events.

Details about the Osaka Marathon

— General Overview of the Osaka Marathon (held in February each year)
— One of Five Marathon Events in Osaka
— What is the Deadline to Register for the Osaka Marathon?
— What is the Fee to Participate in the Osaka Marathon?
— Osaka Marathon Course Through Osaka City
— Who Participates the Osaka Marathon?
— How to Participate the Osaka Marathon

Below we provide information about on the event that may be useful for both spectators and partipants.

Osaka Marathon: General Overview

When: February
Where: The course runs through Osaka City
More Details: osaka-marathon.com

Osaka Marathon is held in February of each year, and is the biggest marathon event in Osaka City. The event is a world class marathon, where top athletes are invited to compete, along with enthusiasts and other competitors from around the world. The marathon is organized by the Osaka Prefectural government, Osaka City, and Osaka Athletics.

Osaka Marathon is a charity marathon and offers three separate courses: Full marathon (42.195 km), short course (7.2 km), and the wheelchair course (720 m).

The Osaka Marathon has a limited number of spots (approximately 30,000 participants). Some of the best marathon runners from around the world are invited to participate. General participants that would like to run in the race, must apply for entry and are selected through a lottery system. Charity runners are admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Registration for the event begins several months in advance (see below for more information).

One of Five Marathon Events in Osaka

While the “Osaka Marathon” is the biggest marathon in Osaka, there are actually five annual marathons in Osaka City, offering a variety of formats from competitions to community races.

The five major marathon events in Osaka are: Osaka International Women’s Marathon (January), Osaka Marathon (February), Yodogawa Marathon and Walk (March), Relay Marathon at Nagai Park (March), and Osaka Yodo River Citizens Marathon (November).

See our list of marathons in Osaka for more details on each race.

What is the Deadline to Register for the Osaka Marathon?

The Osaka Marathon is usually held in February, but the registration deadline is several months before the event. For general runners, registration typically opens during the summer months of the previous year, often running from late July through late August. Charity runners can apply until the end of October.

For more information, see the Osaka Marathon official website: osaka-marathon.com

To participate, plan to submit an application for the Osaka Marathon before the deadline.

What is the Fee to Participate in the Osaka Marathon?

The Osaka Marathon entry fee for general runners and charity runners is approximately 16,000 JPY for domestic participants, and around 145 USD for overseas participants (with slightly lower fees for group entries). In addition to the entry fee, runners must make a small mandatory charity donation and pay an administrative handling fee.

Marathon Course Through Osaka City

Full Marathon: The full course of the Osaka Marathon starts at the Osaka Prefectural Office, next to Osaka Castle. The race heads north for about 5 km toward Ogimachi Park. From there, the course continues south toward the Yodo River, passing the Yodobashi area, and follows Midosuji Street north through central Osaka. When the runners reach the Namba area, they turn west toward Kyocera Dome, and run around Minato-ku. After that, the course heads south along Naniwasuji Street. Once the runners reach the 25 km mark, they turn back north along the same street, and continue toward Tennoji Park. As the runners arrive at Oikebashi, they follow Imazato-suji to return to Osaka Castle.

Short Course (Runners): The Osaka Marathon short course starts at the Osaka Prefectural Government Building, and finishes near the Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest (こども本の森中之島).

Wheelchair Course: The wheelchair course for the Osaka Marathon begins in front of the Osaka Prefectural Government Building, passes through the city, and finishes inside Osaka Castle Park.

Who Participates the Osaka Marathon?

With the exception of some invited runners, all participants must apply for entry, and be selected either through a lottery or a first-come-first-serve system; the Osaka Marathon has a limited number of spots (approximately 30,000).

Osaka Marathon allows overseas runners to apply in most categories, particularly in the general and charity runner categories. It is estimated that around 10–20% of participants are from overseas, and the number of foreign runners continues to grow.

In addition to participants, thousands of spectators also turn out to watch the race.

How to Participate the Osaka Marathon

Because the number of participants in the Osaka Marathon is limited to around 30,000 runners, most participants must apply in advance. General runners, including overseas participants, usually enter through an online application during the designated entry period. If the number of applicants exceeds the available spots, participants are selected by a random lottery.

Only runners who are selected may compete in the race. There is no fee required to apply; you only pay if you are selected to participate in the race.

Participants must meet basic eligibility requirements, including age limits, and the ability to finish within the official time limit.

Guide to the Osaka Marathon (February)

Details about the Osaka Marathon

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