Kyoto, Japan · 42.195 km road marathon
Kyoto Marathon 2027
Sunday 21 February 2027
A rolling point-to-point across Kyoto from Nishikyogoku to Heian-jingu Shrine, past Arashiyama, Ninna-ji and the Kamo River, closing at 15:00 on the gun clock.
Kyoto Marathon at a glance
- Start
- 09:00, one start in blocks; TAKEBISHI Stadium Kyoto, Nishikyogoku
- Finish
- In front of Heian-jingu Shrine, Okazaki
- Course
- Point to point, climbing to about 90 m by km 17 to 19, then gently down with a rise to Ginkaku-ji
- Elevation
- Between 24 and 94 m above sea level
- Time limit
- 6 hours on gun time; the course closes at 15:00
- Cut-offs
- Eight clock checkpoints; in 2026 from km 6.1 by 10:02 to km 41.0 by 14:49
- Entry
- Open to overseas runners until 30 September 2026, 35,000 yen, first come; Japan lottery closed
- Bib pickup
- Miyako Messe, 19 and 20 February, in person with ID; no race-day pickup
- Getting to the start
- Hankyu to Nishikyogoku or a city bus from Kyoto Station (2026)
- Aid stations
- 14 water stations in 2026 from km 4.5, food from km 15.3
Entry details were checked on 25 September 2026 and may have changed since: a date in the entry rules has passed. Check the organizer's entry page before relying on them.
Checked against the organizer's pages on 25 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.
Kyoto Marathon course map and elevation
Point to point, climbing to about 90 m by km 17 to 19, then gently down with a rise to Ginkaku-ji. Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.
› running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Route drawn by TrailSplits from published race information; approximate. For illustration, not navigation.
What to expect on the course
- Along the Katsura River to Arashiyama and the Togetsukyo Bridge near km 6
- Through Sagano past Hirosawa Pond to Ninna-ji near km 10 and Kinukake-no-michi at km 12.5
- Turn over the Nishigamo Bridge at km 18.4, on the high ground of about 90 m
- Narrow, unpaved Kamo riverbank from about km 29 to 33
- Rise of about 28 m to the Ginkaku-ji turn near km 40, then down to the finish
The line follows the 2025 course drawn onto the streets; the organizer's 2027 course map shows the same route and turns.
Read the full course description
A point-to-point course certified by JAAF, World Athletics and AIMS, from TAKEBISHI Stadium Kyoto in Nishikyogoku to the avenue in front of Heian-jingu Shrine, passing seven World Heritage sites. It heads north up Tenjingawa-dori and west along Shijo-dori, where the road narrows from four lanes to two, then follows the Katsura River on the Fushihara dike to Arashiyama and the Togetsukyo Bridge near km 6. The route climbs through Sagano past Hirosawa Pond and along Ichijo-dori to Ninna-ji near km 10 and Ritsumeikan University on Kinukake-no-michi at km 12.5, then runs north on Nishioji-dori to Kitaoji-dori at km 15 and past Imamiya Shrine to the Kamo River. The high ground, about 90 m, lies between km 17 and 19, where the field runs up the west bank and turns over the Nishigamo Bridge at km 18.4. The second half passes through the Botanical Gardens, runs out and back on Kitayama-dori and Shimogamo-hon-dori, and follows the narrow, unpaved Kamo riverbank from about km 29 to 33. Short turns on Marutamachi-dori and at Kyoto City Hall near km 35 follow, then a rise of about 28 m to the Ginkaku-ji turn near km 40 and a drop to the finish. In 2026 there were 14 water stations from km 4.5, food from km 15.3 and pacers for 3:00 to 6:00.
Source, licence and file
TrailSplits reconstruction of the published route. Course: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · original source · Download reference GPX (42.8 km in the file). Approximate ground heights from GSI laser-survey elevation data, added by TrailSplits at roughly 100 m intervals. Bridges and small road gradients are not surveyed road elevations.Heights from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) elevation data (出典：国土地理院).
Three decisions to make before race day
Check your block against the clock checkpoints
The course closes at 15:00, six hours after the gun, and in 2026 eight checkpoints closed at clock times from km 6.1 by 10:02 to km 41.0 by 14:49; from a back block hold about 8 min/km.
More detail
Every checkpoint closes at a clock time set from the 09:00 gun, and the course closes at 15:00. In 2026 the eight ran from km 6.1 by 10:02 to km 41.0 by 14:49, with 15 minutes allowed for the back blocks to cross the line, which they did around 09:15. From a back block, hold about 8 min/km from your crossing; the 2027 table is still to come.
Run the first 18 km by effort and respect the riverbank
The climb to about 90 m by km 17 to 19 comes early; run it by effort. On the narrow, unpaved riverbank from about km 29 passing is hard.
More detail
The course climbs from about 24 m at the start to about 90 m between km 17 and 19, mostly through Sagano from km 6 to 12, then falls gently to about 42 m near km 35. From about km 29 the field is on the narrow, unpaved Kamo riverbank, where passing is hard, and a 28 m rise to Ginkaku-ji comes near km 40.
Collect your bib at Miyako Messe by Saturday 19:00
Bibs only in person at Miyako Messe on 19 or 20 February, last entry 19:00 on Saturday, with original ID; no proxy and no race-day pickup.
More detail
Bibs are issued only in person at Miyako Messe, beside the finish, on Friday 19 February 13:30 to 20:00 or Saturday 20 February 10:30 to 19:00, last entry, against an original identity document. There is no proxy and no race-day pickup. The start is across the city at Nishikyogoku; in 2026 the runners' block area closed at 08:44 and Hankyu trains and a city bus from Kyoto Station served it.
Your race-day sheet
Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Kyoto.
ESTIMATED FINISH
13:00:00
MOVING PACE BUDGET
5:34/ km
ELAPSED PACE
5:41/ km
120 min below the modelled finish limit
| Distance | Elapsed | Local clock |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 00:28:26 | 09:28:26 |
| 10 km | 00:56:53 | 09:56:53 |
| 15 km | 01:25:19 | 10:25:19 |
| 20 km | 01:53:45 | 10:53:45 |
| Halfway | 02:00:00 | 11:00:00 |
| 25 km | 02:22:12 | 11:22:12 |
| 30 km | 02:50:38 | 11:50:38 |
| 35 km | 03:19:05 | 12:19:05 |
| 40 km | 03:47:31 | 12:47:31 |
| Finish | 04:00:00 | 13:00:00 |
Training plan for Kyoto Marathon 2027
A free week-by-week plan dated to this race. It starts from a stated default (weekly distance, longest recent run, days a week) that you can change; nothing is read from your watch or training history. It does not use the finish-time target above.
View my training planNo account required. Keep a fixed copy, download the calendar or get a subscription URL for Google or Apple Calendar.
Entry, bib pickup and rules
- Entry:
- Open to overseas runners until 30 September 2026, 35,000 yen, first come; Japan lottery closed
- Bib pickup:
- Miyako Messe, 19 and 20 February, in person with ID; no race-day pickup
Read the full entry and pickup rules
Runners living outside Japan enter first come, first served through JTB Sports Station: 3,000 places at 35,000 yen, open from 16 July until 17:00 Japan time on 30 September 2026 unless the quota fills first, with unused places passed to the domestic draw. Domestic general entry on RUNNET closed on 31 August 2026 and goes to a lottery, oversubscribed 3.1 times by 39,040 applicants; results are emailed on 5 October 2026. Domestic fees are 18,500 yen for Kyoto City residents and 19,500 yen otherwise, and the marathon is capped at 16,000 runners. Runners must be born before 1 April 2008 and able to finish in six hours. Entries cannot be changed, cancelled, refunded or transferred.
Sources
Checked 25 September 2026; next review due 2026-11-04. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.
- 2027 event information
- 2027 overseas application guidelines
- 2027 entry application timeline
- 2027 domestic entry page and results notice (Japanese)
- 2027 course map
- 2026 participation guide
What each source confirms
- 2027 event information: Sunday 21 February 2027, the 09:00 marathon start and 15:00 finish, the six hour limit on gun time, the 16,000 cap, the start at TAKEBISHI Stadium Kyoto and finish before Heian-jingu Shrine, JAAF, World Athletics and AIMS certification, checkpoints, age rule, fees and check-in at Miyako Messe with none on race day.
- 2027 overseas application guidelines: 3,000 first-come overseas places at 35,000 yen, check-in hours on 19 and 20 February 2027 with original identification and no proxy, eight clock checkpoints, unpaved riverside paths, start blocks by submitted time, no changes, cancellation, refunds or transfers.
- 2027 entry application timeline: Overseas entry period 16 July 10:00 to 30 September 2026 17:00 Japan time through JTB Sports Station (https://jtbsports.jp/en/detail/6imut, which lists the same Wednesday 30 September close).
- 2027 domestic entry page and results notice (Japanese): Domestic general lottery on RUNNET 16 July to 31 August 2026, the 12,240 general and 760 hometown-tax places, unused overseas places passing to the general draw, domestic fees and the 5 October 2026 results; the news item at /news/202609089314/ gives 39,040 applicants and a 3.1 times ratio.
- 2027 course map: The route, street names, kilometre markers, turns, the riverside section and the altitude chart.
- 2026 participation guide: 2026 facts, not 2027 confirmations: the eight checkpoint clock times, the 15 minutes for the back blocks and 09:15 crossing, 14 water stations and food points, pacers for 3:00 to 6:00, narrow sections near km 27 and 29, block area closing at 08:44, access by Hankyu and city bus, and gross time as the official result.