Unlike the other five marathons in the World Marathon Majors, the Tokyo Marathon started as a massive race from its first year. Over 25,000 runners finished the Tokyo Marathon in its inaugural year of 2007. Five years later, in 2012, nearly 36,000 runners started the race which travels through the …
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Unlike the other five marathons in the World Marathon Majors, the Tokyo Marathon started as a massive race from its first year. Over 25,000 runners finished the Tokyo Marathon in its inaugural year of 2007. Five years later, in 2012, nearly 36,000 runners started the race which travels through the main tourist attractions of Tokyo.
Historically, Japan is known for its elite marathon races with very strict qualifying standards. Many mass races are also held throughout the nation. But they are, in most part, separate races that cater to different types of runners. At the present time, no other mass marathon in Japan, with the exception of the Tokyo Marathon, has an extensive elite field, and no other elite marathon has such a huge participatory field like the Tokyo Marathon. Thus, the Tokyo Marathon is a very unique marathon in Japan; it is the only marathon in Japan that matches both the elite field depth and mass participation base of the other major marathons in the world.
The Tokyo Marathon is also unique in one other respect. Through its theme, “One Step Ahead,” it symbolizes how each and every person enthusiastically advances step by step, in their own unique way. The Tokyo Marathon is also steadily moving forward to provide people with the joy of running and what lies beyond it.
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Bucket List Race
Incredible course, excellent and efficient production, good swag. What’s there not to like? Seems like a lot of people didn’t read the rulebook on this one. Lots of complainers about … MORE
Incredible course, excellent and efficient production, good swag. What’s there not to like?
Seems like a lot of people didn’t read the rulebook on this one. Lots of complainers about the cutoffs and lots of people who didn’t understand the water system. I didn’t see any stations that were fully empty, just the first table or two due to people not going to their allocated table.
I had a great time.
Not My Favorite
It’s a good race that needs some kinks worked out. A week before the race it showed it would be a hot day. I don’t think the race event people … MORE
It’s a good race that needs some kinks worked out. A week before the race it showed it would be a hot day. I don’t think the race event people took that into consideration. They ran out of cups, and then around mile 15 for me, but I had someone tell me at mile 14 for them, they ran out of both water and sports drink. How is that even possible in a world marathon major race? They should have anticipated that the runners would need to hydrate more. What made it worse is the race is very strict on you not being able to bring plastic water bottles, which I typically carry, into the start area. So, I can’t bring my own water with me and then they ran out?!! Fortunately, they did get more water and sports drink around mile 20 and I was able to get to the finish line and get my medal.
I also was not overly impressed by the crowd support. There were a lot of spectators but they were very lackluster. I didn’t really get any energy from them.
So, it wasn’t a bad race, just not what I works have expected from a major race with over 38,000 runners.
Lots of Plusses but Needs Improvements
There are many things to like about this marathon - the course, while not especially scenic is flat and the volunteers are helpful and friendly. But for an Abbott Major, … MORE
There are many things to like about this marathon – the course, while not especially scenic is flat and the volunteers are helpful and friendly. But for an Abbott Major, it definitely needs some logistical improvements/upgrades. I hate to be too hard on the water/hydration situation because it was a hot day, but the water/fluids situation needs significant improvement moving forward. As a closer to the back of pack runner, I experienced stops with no cups (water or sports drink poured into my hand – eventually I got a cup out of the trash and carried it with me), stops with cups but no drinks, and a number of stops that had been shut down because they had neither. Volunteers were doing what they could – we saw them running into businesses and coming out with pitchers of water on some stops – but the situation really needs to be improved. Also, as many have said, the finish set up is also very different than the other majors, you walk a long way before you are given hydration/food and the water bottle is small, and the food is not plentiful. Tokyo is a wonderful city, we absolutely loved it but of all the majors race wise, this was probably my least favorite.
Serious issues with hydration/nutrition
The only marathon I have ever done that does not allow runners to carry their own hydration/bottles - and then proceeds to run out of water and cups on a … MORE
The only marathon I have ever done that does not allow runners to carry their own hydration/bottles – and then proceeds to run out of water and cups on a hot day over the last 6-10 miles. Runners were collapsing and vomiting. Then at the finish line, there was NO FOOD other than a small piece of cheese. They gave me bath salts and body wash, along with a TINY bottle of water. This is a dangerous situation, and well below the expectations of a world major. Also, I ran with a tour group and we were not given a race shirt! To be positive – the volunteers were wonderful, and the course is flat. The poncho will get lots of use as a pool/beach cover up.
No water at miles 18-20
No water or Pocairi Sweat available at stations from mile 18-20 or so for back-of-back runners. One had water but no cups. No on-course toilets available (signs for toilets from … MORE
No water or Pocairi Sweat available at stations from mile 18-20 or so for back-of-back runners. One had water but no cups. No on-course toilets available (signs for toilets from 300m up to 2km off the course) though porto-potties available at the start staging area.
They ran out of cups and water!!
For a race that does not allow us to carry any personal hydration - running out of cups and waters is just unforgivable!! I liked that they tried to manage … MORE
For a race that does not allow us to carry any personal hydration – running out of cups and waters is just unforgivable!! I liked that they tried to manage how we get it (giving table numbers) but then running out of cups and waters is so bad!!! This is a Major for crying out loud!! Overall this was a very flat course but I think I lost almost 15 min trying to find water!!! And no race shirt – whats up with that. I would rather they charge us $50 extra but at least give us a race shirt!!
Fun and unique race in WMM
It is very well organizad with many volunteers willing to help at any time. The guidebook explains everything, so read it throughly. Many people dress up in various costumes. MORE
It is very well organizad with many volunteers willing to help at any time. The guidebook explains everything, so read it throughly. Many people dress up in various costumes.
It’s Tokyo! And at least I finished.
I’m always a slow runner, but 1 week before the Tokyo Marathon I fell on the ice during my last lengthier run and slammed my ribs. So, I wasn’t sure … MORE
I’m always a slow runner, but 1 week before the Tokyo Marathon I fell on the ice during my last lengthier run and slammed my ribs. So, I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to run the race. I did run it, and while I was very slow, I managed to finish it. So, from a slow runner’s perspective, here are some thoughts: I got to the expo the afternoon of the 1st day it opened. I got my bib and shirt very quickly and without problems. The official Asics merchandise booth was a mob scene as expected, but there were a lot of other booths and merchandise available. On race day itself, everyone gets a specific gate and corral to enter. The volunteers were wonderful and plentiful, and made getting to the correct place a breeze. There were a bunch of porta potties before you entered your corral (even men-specific ones with no doors—never seen before, but they reduce the lines for the standard ones). There are no porta potties in the corrals, so do your business before you get in there. The race starts at 9:10am, and it goes off gun time. Your clock starts not when you cross the start line, but when the gun goes off. And yes, they do have cutoffs throughout the race. I knew that long before the race, and planned on them. Even if you start from the back of the pack, if you run a quicker 1st 11K, once you make it past the 1st 2 cutoffs, there’s more forgiveness built in. Once I got past those 2, I enjoyed the race and the crowds. The volunteers again were fantastic. On the course, they’re friendly and excited for the runners. They were always smiling, and they tried to help as best they could. Yes, there were problems with aid stations running out of water and cups, and it was extremely hot, and you weren’t allowed to carry your own bottles (unless they met specific requirements). Still, the volunteers did what they could. The course is mostly flat, and there are several out-and-backs. I don’t mind those—you get to see some of the faster runners, and you may get to see the buses that pick up those who don’t make the cutoff (in case you needed more incentive to run faster). I loved the race. And I loved Tokyo in general. I stayed in Shinjuku near the start. The food was fabulous and so inexpensive. I truly didn’t want to leave. I got into this race through the lottery on my 1st attempt—unlike NYC where I’m 0/13 attempts to get in), so there’s always hope to get in.
Fun race in an enormous city
Lots of good things about this race. Almost everything is very well organized. Good support along the course from fans. Things to be aware of: - Merch: if merchandise is … MORE
Lots of good things about this race. Almost everything is very well organized. Good support along the course from fans.
Things to be aware of:
– Merch: if merchandise is important to you, get to the expo on Thursday when it opens and go straight to the asics area, then go get your bib. Jackets sold out in a couple hours and so did many other things. I went to bib area first on Thursday morning and by the time I got to the merch section there was a 2 hour line.
– where to stay: I’d recommend staying near the start area in Shinjuku. It’s a fun area of the city to be and easy to get back to once the race is done. I stayed at Hotel Century Southern Tower which was great and had a delicious breakfast they served early on race day.
– you have to order the race day shirt, I’d highly recommend getting the signature shirt. I got in with charity and defaulted to the charity shirt which was no where near as good as the signature shirt.
A Major That Needs Improvement
First the Good: 1. Course was well marked. KM signs visible. 2. Friendly volunteers. 3. Fairly flat course with a few minor hills and bridges. 4. Everything started right on … MORE
First the Good:
1. Course was well marked. KM signs visible.
2. Friendly volunteers.
3. Fairly flat course with a few minor hills and bridges.
4. Everything started right on time.
Now some observations and criticism.
1. At start, with 5 pre-designated entry gates and corrals, getting to baggage drop and corral in time was not easy.
2. Toilets were not on street or sidewalks. You had to travel a significant distance down a side street, and then back adding at least a couple hundred meters.
3. Aid stations ran out of fluids and/or cups the last 10k. Some people had to drink directly from bottles shared by others or cup hands. Other stations had cups but no fluids. Inexcusable for a WMM event. The temps were warm which is not in the event management’s control but how they prep for it is.
4. At finish metals and drink/food were a distance to walk. There was a large empty park there but instead, runners had to travel some distance. Then….
5. I had to walk about 8-10 blocks, based on my bib color, to get baggage.
Glad I got my star but would not otherwise make this a destination without some improvement.
Mixed feelings
I received notification from Tokyo Marathon that I got accepted by lottery entry! I think it was July or August of 2024 that I got the email. But there was … MORE
I received notification from Tokyo Marathon that I got accepted by lottery entry! I think it was July or August of 2024 that I got the email. But there was only 1 problem, my wife’s due date was February 2025. I ALWAYS travel with my family to marathons. My wife always wanted to go to Tokyo. I was originally planning on deferring the entry, however I learned that Tokyo doesn’t allow for deferment unless you are female runner and pregnant. So I was really torn now, I went back and forth but my told me to just go to Tokyo and run the race by myself. I booked a trip to Japan for 1 week, with the main agenda of running the marathon and seeing a few of my relatives and close friends and coming back.
I flew into Haneda airport which I prefer over Narita just because it’s a heck of a lot closer to Tokyo. I ended up staying at my brother’s house in Yokohama so I really can’t give any advice as far as hotel options and where to stay. I flew into on Thursday, reached my brother’s house late Thursday and had dinner. On Friday, I went to the Expo which was held at Tokyo Big Sight, which is like a huge convention hall. It has its own dedicated train stop, as soon as you hop out of the station you will see Tokyo Marathon volunteers wearing blue jacket guiding you to the entrance, it really is fool proof. The Japanese folks are meticulously organized and it shows. I went to the expo, they open at 10 am, I think I got there around noon on Friday and it wasn’t bad. The line to pickup the bib had maybe 6 people ahead of me. Bring your runner registration and your passport. They will give you a bib and wristband. Do not take off the wristband until you are finished with the entire race. After the bib pick up, you pick up your pre-purchased shirt/singlet if you were lucky enough to buy it before it sold out. O lines at all for that part. Then you enter the vendor and photo op area of expo. There really was no huge lines, I heard that the ASICS store had 1 hour wait to get in but I wasn’t interested so I would not be able able to confirm if that is factual or not. I thought the expo was we organized and I had great experience, easy access from train station.
Race day: I usually don’t sleep too well on marathon days but I woke up around 3 am, I don’t know if it was due to jet lag or being anxious or both. I think I headed for the train around 6 am, again I stayed in Yokohama so if you stay in Tokyo, I am sure you don’t have to leave that early. My brother recommended that I get off at Nishi-shinjyuku station as it is a much shorter walk, and he was right. Again, as soon as you get off the train you will see volunteers wearing blue jackets guiding you which way to go. I walked maybe 5 minutes and went through the gate and security check. Dropped off my bag check. Everything was smooth as can be. The race started promptly at 9:10 am. I was In corral D, and I was close enough to see the confetti and the opening ceremony which was pretty cool. Now one warning about Tokyo is that they have STRICT cutoff points, they will enforce it. All in all 9 cutoff points. The time for the cutoff points are set by guntime, so I was a bit worried because I was in Corral D so I expected to cross the start line 30 to 45 minutes after the gun, but in actuality I started 4 minutes after the gun. So you move pretty quickly at the start, I am not sure how many corrals there were but I would imagine that last corral probably started 10 to 15 minutes after the gun. I was never close to being cutoff and I am a pretty darn slow runner. However, the course itself has a lot of double backs and I saw some people getting cutoff at the checkpoint which always gives me an awful feeling. I can’t imagine traveling to Tokyo and being cutoff. I understand it’s a huge city and they have to open the roads back up but I hope they change it in the future. The course is flat, many of the landmarks such as Tokyo sky tree and Asakusa are passed which is pretty cool. The volunteers are just down right awesome, so energetic I just can’t say enough wonderful things about them. It gives me a smile every time I saw an old Japanese grandma yelling as loud as she could “Fight”, “Gambatte” with a fist pump. The only issue I had, and it was a pretty big issue to me were the water stations. The last 5 or 6 water stations ran out of water, or they consolidated the tables to 1 or 2 which created a big crowd. It was hot race day, 68 degrees. They had each water stations numbered, the last number on your bib is the designated water stations they wanted you to hit up. I was number 2, so the first few stations I went to table 2, no issues. Then slowly but surely I got to the water stations and the table for number 2 was already packed up and broken down. Now like I said, I am a pretty slow runner but there had to have been at least another hour of runners behind me, I can only imagine what they had to go through towards the end. Tokyo being a world major, this was pretty disappointing to me. I almost gave 3 shoes but in my opinion it gets 3.5 shoes and rounded up just because how wonderful the volunteers were and the feast of the race being so organized. After the race you get a medal and the iconic terry clothe gown! I met up with my family at Tokyo station, my brother booked us a bullet train ticket back to Yokohama, which ended up being about 10 minutes train ride but I felt like VIP riding in a Shinkansen after the race hahahaha. Overall it was great experience and I am glad I made the choice to run the marathon.
Great World Major
Course: extremely fast that felt much faster than Chicago with the first 5k being downhill Logistically: it is not the easiest race to navigate before or afterwards. Much more difficult … MORE
Course: extremely fast that felt much faster than Chicago with the first 5k being downhill
Logistically: it is not the easiest race to navigate before or afterwards. Much more difficult than NYC
Swag: other than the post-race robe, the rest of the swag left a lot to be desired. The medal may be the smallest I’ve ever gotten and the race entry does not include a shirt. You must pre-order it well before
Expo: a very large and nice expo. However, it is chaos trying to purchase official race merchandise where many items sold out within minutes
Well supported course with strict cutoff
As one of the 6 world majors, getting into the race is not easy. But the race now has charity entry spots making it easier to gain entry. Expo packet … MORE
As one of the 6 world majors, getting into the race is not easy. But the race now has charity entry spots making it easier to gain entry.
Expo packet pick up lines are long for certain groups (charity runners?), for other groups, short. Especially on day 1. If you want official branded merchandise get there when it opens and fight the crowd. There was >1hr wait to enter the merchandise area after packet pickup, and I arrived at the expo 30 min before it opened. (although I did get a slow line for packet p/u).
Race shirts are available for purchase, but are an extra cost, and the sizes run small. (Japanese 3x is more like a US XL)
No drinks (other than small boxed water) is allowed in the start area, so drink down before you arrive.
The corrals move efficiently to the start, but you are in a mass mob. It will carry you along for the first few miles before it begins to thin out.
The race course is pretty flat. There are a few rolling hills, but none are very high or long.
Course support is excellent! The aid stations are divided into 5 groups, based on the last digit of your bib number (but many runners couldn’t figure that out.) Pocari Sweat was the electrolyte of the race. Plenty of porta potties and restrooms along the way. The early ones can have lines of up to 20 minutes! (They list wait times at the entrance to the area.)
The cutoffs for the race are real. The second cutoff is probably the hardest for slower runners. Overall it is about a 14:15 pace (or so) to meet all of the cutoffs.)
The exit to the race is a little bit of a maze. You are routed out based on your bib color. So if you are meeting family or friends, figure out where you will be exiting, or meet up at the family area. (which I never found.)
Make sure you give yourself several more days post race to explore the city and/or country!! (I explored Tokyo and Osaka this trip.)
Need to consider wave starts
The start is a chaotic with runners shoving and pushing. I was knocked down accidemtly and fell on my head and knee; could not finish the race. With about 38,000 … MORE
The start is a chaotic with runners shoving and pushing. I was knocked down accidemtly and fell on my head and knee; could not finish the race. With about 38,000 runners, and one street — along with time cut-offs and a 7 hour limit — they need to consider wave starts at least for the safety’s sake.
Tokyo - the Robe is EPIC
Expo: Very controversial. They don’t make a lot of gear. It is usually sold out pretty quickly on the first day. If this is important to you, you should buy … MORE
Expo: Very controversial. They don’t make a lot of gear. It is usually sold out pretty quickly on the first day. If this is important to you, you should buy whatever you can in advance. I bought the race T-shirt in advance and was content. Others were very upset. There was mass chaos over jackets at the expo. The expo had lots of photo opp areas. Non Tokyo Marathon gear was available. Getting the bibs etc. was a smooth process on Day 2.
Course: Nice flat course with ample support along the way. There are some out and backs. I know the very fast runners can sometimes find the turns frustrating but I loved that I got a glimpse of the elites as they ran through. I ran for DMHC and they had 11 cheer stations along the course to support DMHC runners. Bins were available at the start to discard clothing. Allow yourself 45 minutes or so if you need a restroom before the race. I didn’t think the restroom situation was as dire as some have expressed in the past.
My Garmin said I ran almost 26.8 miles. I’m used to a lot of races that have drink stations on both sides of the path so I always gravitate right. I think this caused me to put the extra distance in since they were all on the left.
Post Race: The medal is very nice. The post race robe is epic. I love it! My swag score would probably be lower without it. The post race drinks and snacks were nothing to write home about. I wish they had protein to offer after. You have to buy the race T-shirt separate (I feel like most include it).
I ran for DMHC and they had a nice post race event with food, drinks and even a chance to meet Ronald McDonald. 🙂 It was a great event but be prepared to walk a bit after the race to get there.
City: Tokyo is a great city! There are lots of things to do. Do your best to understand the train lines before you go. I stayed in Shinjuku. This was great access to the Start of the race. The train station is HUGE and I found it very confusing at first. After a few days I got my bearings and figured it out. I was never able to get money into my Suica card in Apple wallet (it doesn’t like Visa cards). I got Yen when I arrived and was able to get a physical Suica card and fill it with the cash.
The time change didn’t have a massive impact on me there. I’m thankful for that. I know that isn’t always the case. I was in Tokyo for 6 days which was sufficient if you have limited vacation time and a family at home like me.
Registering: My experience is through the charity route. Some of the social media pages can be helpful for timing etc. (World Marathon Majors is a good one). 100,000 yen (around $700 when I applied) is the minimum but it is a bidding process. You submit your amount and you pay it if you get in. If you need to fundraise you need to think through how you handle this. Since I love RMHC (DMHC in Japan) I knew this was the charity for me. I also knew that I really wanted to run this race in 2024 so I bid above the minimum at a point that I felt pretty sure about getting in.
Not the best Major
I don't think I have much to add that the other reviewers have already said. No health tracking app this year. All the official Asics race swag was sold out … MORE
I don’t think I have much to add that the other reviewers have already said. No health tracking app this year. All the official Asics race swag was sold out when I arrived at the expo on day 2. Major bummer. Expo was a bit of a disappointment. There are toilets at the start. There are clothing bins drops on the lead up to the start line. The website is hugely lacking in any information about the race for runners.
It was fun and interesting to visit Tokyo. So very clean and well organized.
Nice but not outstanding as othee majors
Nice race within a beautiful city with nevrotic countermeasures against corona. The track is nice but with many miles are run twice in both directions, so it could be improved. … MORE
Nice race within a beautiful city with nevrotic countermeasures against corona. The track is nice but with many miles are run twice in both directions, so it could be improved. Nonsense the prohibition to bring its owns water bottle. The worst major expo I have ever seen, the t-shirts (not included in the race swag) had been sold out in few hours of the first day. Poor medal considered it is a major.
Awesome! Got my Sixth Star!
"Repeat" because I broke my foot in Tokyo 2019 at mile 18. Then pandemic hit in 2020 so race was cancelled. In 2023, international runners were able to participate Tokyo … MORE
“Repeat” because I broke my foot in Tokyo 2019 at mile 18. Then pandemic hit in 2020 so race was cancelled. In 2023, international runners were able to participate Tokyo marathon. I would do this race again even tho it’s kinda chaotic the first 10k since everyone is trying to beat the cutoffs.
Glad to have run, but not a spectacle
Superbly organised for over 36,000 runners. Very glad to have entered and run. About 10 degrees on the day, which helped. Great fellow runners and watching crowd. Lots of lops … MORE
Superbly organised for over 36,000 runners. Very glad to have entered and run. About 10 degrees on the day, which helped. Great fellow runners and watching crowd. Lots of lops so constantly see those ahead and behind,
which I am not a fan of. Tokyo has some great sites but the route I primarily a concentre and neon jungle with not using some of the spectacles you could see. So a great run just not an iconic run.
Least Favourite of the Majors
Loved Japan, loved the city of Tokyo, loved the course volunteers. This race is well organized as everyone says. However....was not fond of not being able to carry my own … MORE
Loved Japan, loved the city of Tokyo, loved the course volunteers. This race is well organized as everyone says. However….was not fond of not being able to carry my own water. All of the other major allow it. It is quite a crowded course so going into the water stop tables becomes a high risk move.
Initially they were not going to allow for clothing to be dropped at the start line. Race organizers eventually relented at the last minute. Thank Goodness as it was chilly at the start and you do have to be there early to jump all the covid and security hoops.
They didn’t allow for runners with Tour groups to have finish line bag drop, which seemed goofy as they already had that organization in place, a few hundred more wasn’t going to be that difficult. The robe they provide helps but not enough.
The crowds were great but the course is a concrete jungle, it doesn’t have the boroughs or neighborhood feels of NYC, London, or Chicago.
Other than water and Pocari Sweat no other post race nutrition, not even a piece of fruit or cookie, NOTHING!! Again the problem of having no bag drop where runners could have stashed a snack.
The race wanted you carry everything. They mandated carrying cell phone, they wanted you to carry post race clothes, post race snack. I was envisioning needing wheel barrow for this race.
This is a race you really want to love but the hurdles put in by the Tokyo Marathon Foundation are a significant hinderance.