Event Detail
The 37th Shiraoka New Year Marathon takes place on Sunday 17 January 2027 at Shiraoka City General Athletic Park in Saitama Prefecture. Despite the name, the longest race is 10 km, alongside 5 km, 2 km and 1.2 km categories. This long-established community festival caters for adult runners, school pupils and parent–child pairs.
The opening ceremony starts at 08:20. The youngest children race 1.2 km from 09:00, followed by a family category at 09:10, 2 km at 09:20, 5 km at 09:50 and 10 km at 10:00. The organiser expects the final runners to finish by 11:50. For safety, competitors in the 10 km event can be withdrawn if they fail to reach the 8 km mark within 80 minutes.
The start and finish are around the athletics stadium and nearby local roads. The park is approximately a 20-minute walk from Shiraoka railway station on the JR Utsunomiya Line. Runners may use a valuables counter near the venue, but other bags are their responsibility.
Online registration opened on 28 August 2026 and is scheduled to close on 26 October 2026. Adult entry is ¥3,000, with discounted fees for pupils and certain local children. Administrative booking fees are additional. Race bibs and electronic timing chips are posted to entrants approximately a week before race day. Participants receive a neck gaiter, and certificates with recorded times and finishing positions are issued after racing. See the official Japanese-language organiser regulations for detailed youth eligibility, age groups and potential race-day adjustments.