Kobe Marathon Kobe, Japan   Nov 15, 2020

The Kobe Marathon is, of course, about running for oneself. But more than just that, it seeks to be about running for people.

At the core of this concept is a desire to make the Kobe Marathon into an event for expressing gratitude to the people and regions, local and overseas, who reached out to Hyogo and Kobe right from the recovery from the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake and on up to the present day.

The attitude of Hyogo and Kobe, which achieved a creative recovery, and the work providing the experience and lessons of the earthquake to disaster victims all over the world are based on the fact that we are all linked together and the conviction that we all share in joy and sadness. The desire to make this an event where visitors to Hyogo and Kobe encounter the utmost hospitality is also based on the awareness that we are all linked together.

The idea is to turn this into a marathon where runners are not just participating for themselves but for victims of disaster both in Japan and abroad. We want to make this an event that is not just about running but also about enjoying the attractions of Hyogo and Kobe.

Our intention is to make this an event that turns the power of the Kobe Marathon into something even greater and reaches out to the people and regions in Japan and overseas who have suffered terrible loss and damage in natural disasters.

In the Kobe Marathon, which features the catch phrase “42.195 kilometers of gratitude,” 20,000 competitors will run through the streets of Kobe inspired by the theme Thanks and Friendship. The gratitude, as large as the number of people involved, connects the 42.195 kilometers of the Kobe Marathon.

We aim for a marathon where, from start to finish, citizen runners run alongside top runners and each entrant performs at their best regardless of competitive level, age and gender, and which supports the efforts of all the participants.