Mito Komon Manyu Marathon 2026

The 11th Mito Komon Manyu Marathon is a major city marathon in Mito, Ibaraki, bringing up to 10,000 runners onto a certified 42.195 km course on Sunday 25 October 2026. The race is organised by the Mito Komon Manyu Marathon Executive Committee together with local athletics bodies and the City of Mito, and the course is certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and World Athletics.

The marathon starts at 09:00 JST from the Minamimachi 2-chome intersection in central Mito and finishes at the main gate of the Ibaraki Prefectural Sannomaru Government Building. The main event precinct is the Sannomaru Government Building Plaza, about a five-minute walk from JR Mito Station. The route showcases the city rather than simply using a fast out-and-back course, taking runners past historic streets, Kairakuen Garden, one of Japan's celebrated great gardens, and the autumn scenery around Lake Senba. The organiser also highlights a dramatic late-race tunnel and uphill approach to the finish.

The official time limit is six hours on gross time. Five intermediate gates close at approximately 9.5 km at 10:40, 19.7 km at 12:10, 29.2 km at 13:30, 33.4 km at 14:00 and 38.5 km at 14:30. Three retirement points are also provided on the route. Runners should plan their pacing around the published gate times rather than relying only on the overall six-hour limit.

Entry is closed. The field is capped at 10,000 participants, including dedicated Mito-resident and medical-worker allocations. The standard fee was JPY 10,000, with a JPY 7,000 rate for eligible medical professionals who agree to assist if a medical incident occurs on course.

There is no conventional pre-race expo collection requirement for the core timing materials: athlete bibs and timing chips are sent to entrants in advance by mid-October. The organiser provides a participant T-shirt, while finishers receive the event's distinctive medal modelled on a traditional inro seal case and bearing the Mito Tokugawa crest. Overall men and women are recognised through tenth place, with additional age-group awards. The race is also a RUN as ONE - Tokyo Marathon partner event, with eligible participants able to collect RUN as ONE mileage at the event venue.