67th Karatsu 10-Mile Road Race 2027

The 67th Karatsu 10-Mile Road Race returns to Karatsu in Saga Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday 14 February 2027. A long-established competitive meeting that draws athletes from universities, company teams, schools and running clubs, it combines an elite-oriented 10-mile race (16.093 km) with 10K and 5K divisions. The race organiser identifies the routes as certified by World Athletics and the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. Each division has a qualifying-time requirement, so prospective entrants should check the organiser's entry standards before registering.

Scenic road course

All races start and finish at Karatsu City Athletics Stadium in Taiiku-no-Mori Park. The longer courses pass through the nationally designated scenic Niji no Matsubara pine grove, with local scenery including the approaches towards Karatsu Castle and the coast. The 10-mile course turns near Saifukuji Temple in Hamatama; the 10K route turns near Niji-no-Mori Kodomoen in the pine grove and the 5K divisions turn near Matsuura Bridge. The flagship 10-mile course has checkpoints at 3.0 km (12 minutes), 7.7 km (31 minutes) and 13.2 km (54 minutes). The 10K divisions have a checkpoint at 7.1 km, while the 5K events have no intermediate cut-offs.

Official start schedule (Japan Standard Time)

• 10:00: Boys' high-school 10K.
• 10:05: Boys' high-school 5K.
• 11:00: Women's 10K, high-school age and older.
• 11:05: Girls' high-school 5K.
• 12:15: Men's open 10-mile (16.093 km) race.
• 12:20: Men's open 5K.

The men's open 10-mile division requires a qualifying 10K time of 40 minutes or faster, the women's 10K 45 minutes or faster, and the men's open 5K 25 minutes or faster. Separate standards apply to high-school competitors. Entry is expected to open around mid-November 2026 and applications close 6 January 2027. Men's 10-mile entry costs JPY 3,000; adult women's 10K and adult men's 5K are JPY 2,500, and eligible high-school divisions are JPY 2,000. Note that the 10-mile headline event is described here at its genuine distance, rather than incorrectly represented by a 15K category tag.

Venue, registration and travel

The organiser schedules bib and timing-chip collection for Saturday 13 February, 15:00-17:00, or on Sunday from 08:30, with earlier collection deadlines for morning categories. Competitors receive a participation gift; prizes and awards are allocated by race division. Parking inside Taiiku-no-Mori Park is restricted to authorised vehicles and the organiser states that park vehicle movements are blocked from 09:30 until the main race ends. Check the municipal website for updated entry instructions and road restrictions before travelling.