Race Categories
Event Detail
The 58th Misato City Half Marathon, also known as the Kaichan & Tsubuchan Marathon and ATHENS Half Marathon Friendship Race, returns to Saitama Prefecture on Sunday, 14 February 2027. The main event is a Japan Association of Athletics Federations-certified half marathon on the specially arranged streets around Misato, starting and finishing at Senario House Field Misato, the city's athletics stadium. Alongside the half marathon, adults, students and families can take part in shorter community races.
Race programme and course
The 21.0975K race is open to high-school-age runners and older who expect to finish within two hours and 40 minutes. The published course is notably flat, running through urban Misato before returning to the stadium. The half-marathon start is listed at 08:50 Japan Standard Time in current race-course references; participants should check the organiser's final guide for confirmed wave and reporting times. A 5K and a 3K are also available, with age-specific divisions. The shorter events include a 1.2K primary-school race for grades 4–6 and a 1.2K family race for a child aged three through primary school grade 3 accompanied by a guardian, up to three people per group. The exact 1.2K distance is described here but is not shown in ARC's distance cards because that distance is not available in the system.
Entry and practical information
Online registration opened on 1 October 2026 through the organiser-linked Sports Entry listing and is advertised to close on 15 November 2026; telephone registrations close earlier, on 13 November. Registration fees depend on age and category, with separate processing fees. A wheelchair race division is not offered, and minors require guardian consent. The city lists Japan's veteran distance-running figure Toshihiko Seko among the event's official advisers, with guest runners Kayoko Fukushi and Moeko Takahashi.
The race headquarters and start/finish venue are at Senario House Field Misato (Misato Athletics Stadium). Race-pack collection dates, individual short-distance start times and any changes to road access were not independently confirmed in the official city notice, so runners should consult the race website and their entry confirmation before travelling. The official city page and event website provide the organiser's latest announcements.