Himeji Castle Town Marathon 2027

The Himeji Castle Town Marathon brings a short-distance road-running programme to the grounds of Himeji Castle, one of Japan's best-known World Heritage landmarks. It is a special alternative for 2027 while the larger World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon is suspended because of works affecting event facilities. Rather than a full marathon, this edition offers family, junior and adult races over 1 km to 5 km, with an expected field of about 3,400 people.

Races start and finish at Sannomaru Square within the castle grounds. The courses run around the historic castle precinct, giving participants close views of the celebrated white keep and surrounding townscape. The organiser warns that some sections are narrow and include changes in elevation; wheelchair participation is not permitted under the published race rules. Eligible runners with a disability who cannot run alone may arrange one accompanying guide runner.

The opening ceremony begins at 9:00 am on Sunday 28 February 2027, with the first race scheduled from 9:30 am Japan Standard Time. Individual division start times will be finalised according to entries and announced in the race instructions from mid-February. The family 1 km has a 10-minute limit, the 1.5 km primary-school race 15 minutes, the 2 km race 20 minutes, the 3 km race 30 minutes and the 5 km race 40 minutes. The 1 km pairs a child aged four to six with an adult aged 18 or over. The 1.5 km is for primary years one to three, with an entry fee of JPY 1,500, while the 2 km is for years four to six. The 5 km junior division accepts middle-school boys; high-school and adult men and women have separate divisions.

Important eligibility note: Entry is restricted to people residing in Japan, and minors require parental consent. Applications are accepted online through RUNNET on a first-paid, first-served basis, with entries closing early if capacity is reached. Entry fees are non-refundable and processing charges apply.

There is no race-day athlete check-in: bibs and instructions are scheduled to be posted to participants in mid-February. The event provides baggage storage, but parking is limited, so public transport is recommended. Finishers receive a towel, and those inside their category's time limit can obtain an online result certificate. The top eight in the published family, school-year and competitive divisions receive recognition. Runners should respect the protected castle grounds and take their rubbish away.