Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon
Tokyo, Japan
- Half Marathon, Wheelchair Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon starts and finishes at Japan National Stadium. All finishers will receive a finisher robe and a finisher medal. … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Oct 18):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°C) | 26 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 17 |
| L (°C) | 16 | 21 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
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They also organize the Tokyo Marathon?!
It's certainly not the worst running event but a shockingly bad one considering the Olympic committee is behind this one. An extension of the 2020 Olympics, you would think more … MORE
It’s certainly not the worst running event but a shockingly bad one considering the Olympic committee is behind this one. An extension of the 2020 Olympics, you would think more thought would go into the event like NOT having runners standing around for +1 hours before the run begins! Also, needing to solve mathematical questions to get a cup of water is nonsensical–apparently, the Tokyo Marathon is guilty of this, too!! Oh, and did I mention NO GARBAGE BINS?! They have bins for the water cups but get upset if any other trash, like energy gel packets, end up in the bins despite their own corporate sponsor Pocari Sweat encouraging the use of energy gels during the event! They provided foam soaked in water with no bins for the foam leaving a sea of chaos on the course! I thought I signed up for a half marathon not a level in Mario Kart! Sign-up at your own risk and amusement but this event made me wonder why Japan is chosen for major athletic events.
One of the Best Half Marathons in Tokyo
In my opinion, of course. The second running for me and this tends to be a fast half. There are no big hills, although there a few uphll or downhills … MORE
In my opinion, of course. The second running for me and this tends to be a fast half. There are no big hills, although there a few uphll or downhills sections, none are really challenging. (Although the last couple of mile are uphill and many people seem to hit that and slow way down or even walk at that point.)
This year we started inside of Tokyo National Stadium instead of outside. The weather was about perfect—around 62 to start. The beginning was crowded and slow for the first mile. Things didn’t really thin ou until the second half of the race.
Most of the run was under cloud cover or in the shade, only during the last half were we directly in the sun. There were sufficient water or Pokkari Sweat sports drinks provided along the course, but unfortunately they were crowded and many would stop there or in the middle of the road to pick up drinks. There were folks who would see a photographer or the TV cameras and mindlessly cut in front of everyone to mug for them. Fortunately they were few, but you have to be prepared.
Swag? I don’t expect much in the Tokyo area. A rather boring finishers medal, a cheap hand towel, and a few gel and Pokkari Sweat samples. There was less than last year, but last year had some Olympic runners.
But if you just like running on a fast course and your idea of scenery—which I rarely notice during an urban run—is concrete, asphalt, and tall buildings it’s perfect. Ignore the concrete and asphalt and it even more perfecter.
There is a drawing for this popular race—around 15,000 were expected this year. I would recommend this to folks who love racing, half marathons, and aren’t all that interested in getting some sort of swag that you pay for anyway.
New world-class half marathon
This is a new race — it was first held in 2022 and opened to international participants in 2023. It’s an offshoot of the Tokyo Marathon, one of the world’s … MORE
This is a new race — it was first held in 2022 and opened to international participants in 2023. It’s an offshoot of the Tokyo Marathon, one of the world’s foremost running events, but held at another time of year. Great city center course ending in the Tokyo National Stadium. A moderate course in terms of difficulty in the city center. Well organized. Entry is via a ballot — and it can be difficult to get a place — but worth the effort of trying. See my full review here: https://www.flyrun.fun/p/tokyo-legacy-half-marathon-2023-review
Complicated to get in, but overall good
Entry is by drawing and if chosen you'll need your smartphone to access the site with your entry info and q-code to get into the Expos to pick up your … MORE
Entry is by drawing and if chosen you’ll need your smartphone to access the site with your entry info and q-code to get into the Expos to pick up your bib. You’ll need that again the next day (everything the previous day has to have been completed correctly, including getting the same “ticket” approved and stamped.) If your phone cannot connect you will go through a mess to get in, if you even can. Information was available in English on the site a few weeks before the race. It wasn’t when the drawing was held in July.
On race day, once in, everything went smoothly. The weather was a perfect 58 degrees, but pouring rain. We froze in our blocks for about 30 minutes before the start, but things warmed up from there. The problem is that if you are not in the first few blocks, you’re race—the running part— won’t actually start for several minutes. It took mine (D) 5 minutes of walking, jogging, stopping to wait again to reach the actual start line. Fortunately, they calculated net time as well as gun time.
The scenery? Well, it goes through some of the nicer areas of the city and you can expect to see lots of concrete and asphalt. It is Tokyo, after all. I hardly ever pay attention to the scenery when racing, but when I did, I thought it was fine for an urban Tokyo race. We weren’t running through some of the older or rundown areas that tourists could be shocked at.
The course was mostly flat with a few minor slopes–I hesitate to call them hills—but if you count net time and ignore the turtle-paced start, a PB is very possible.
The “swag” was nothing special, a cheap orange towel and a metal finishers medal. I bought a coffee mug at the expo instead of the t-shirts being sold there.
I will try to get in this race again next year and would recommend it to others. Overall, I was very satisfied with everything once I got through all the red-tape. A visitor to Tokyo could run it if they were selected in the July draw and planned on being in Tokyo anyway, but I wouldn’t say it would be worth a trip to Japan just for the race.
A lot of Prep to Run Tokyo Legacy
This race was well organized but it requires to be chosen by lottery and there is a lot of pre race preparatio not involving running.. If you are going to … MORE
This race was well organized but it requires to be chosen by lottery and there is a lot of pre race preparatio not involving running.. If you are going to enter the race and don’t know Japanese prepare to use some sort translation such as Google translate. This race required a week prior temperature checks and health questions concerning COVID that had to be submitted on an App. There was a PCR test also conducted the day prior at the expo. Entering the expo and on race day required having the appropriate QR code’s on your smart phone. I have to say if you got through all the requirements the race was well organized and went real smooth. The runners start in corrals based on registration times which also the corrals were extremely well organized as needed because it is crowded at the start. The race starts and ends in the new National Stadium which was AWESOME and the course is basically out and back on a mostly flat course with a few inclines. Japan is still cautious with taking precautions concerning COVID but it was an enjoyable running through Tokyo.