My marathons

第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon)

Start 09:009:00 AM Shonan, Kanagawa

The 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon) is a flat course of 42.2 km with 48.6 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 3 m and its highest 14 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 6 December 2026, starting at 09:00.

Enoshima
Enoshima. Photograph by Σ64, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons . Course line © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Race day
The 2026 race
Start
09:009:00 AM
Distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
Marathon · 10K, from the race name, not from a published programme
Total climb
48.6 m159 ft
Highest point 11 m36 ft above lowest
Entry fee
JP¥16,500
JP¥21,500 from abroad, for the 2026 race
Time limit
6 h 30 min
Finish closes 15:303:30 PM

The course

Pick a place, or drag along the profile

The course stays between 3.4 m and 14.4 m above sea level, 87% of it at 10 m or lower, and climbs 48.6 m in the full marathon.

Start, finish

© OpenStreetMap contributors

  2. Photo: Abasaa, Public domain

km 14.7mile 9.2

Tsujido Seaside Park

The organiser's course page puts cut-off gates 3 and 5 at the west and east car parks of Tsujido Seaside Park, around 14 km and 22 km.

Height drawn many times taller than life · GEDTM30

Course elevation profile, 8× vertical exaggeration Elevation along the course from km 0 to km 42. The trace runs between 3 and 14 metres, a range of 11 metres, drawn at 8 times vertical exaggeration so the shape is legible. Smoothed over 1 km before this profile was derived. An unsmoothed urban surface carries the buildings and would assert a climb that is not there. The dashed stretches are bridge decks: 西湘バイパス, km 1.7 to 2.8; 国道134号, km 4 to 4.1; 国道134号, km 7.1 to 7.8; 国道134号, km 18.3 to 18.6; 国道134号, km 29.2 to 29.9; 国道134号, km 32.8 to 32.9; 西湘バイパス, km 34.1 to 35.2. A bare-earth model reads the ground or the water beneath a bridge, not the deck the runner is on, so those runs are interpolated between the ground either side rather than measured, and they under-report the real climb across a span. Marked points: Cut-off 10:10 at km 5.1; Cut-off 10:56 at km 10.8; Cut-off 11:24 at km 14.2; Cut-off 12:03 at km 19.2; Cut-off 12:25 at km 21.9; Cut-off 13:17 at km 28.3; Cut-off 14:13 at km 35; Cut-off 14:29 at km 37.1; Cut-off 14:55 at km 39.6.
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi

Dashed: bridge upright dashes: cut-offs

Your 5 gels, at the orange marksFor a 4:00 finish, one every 40 minutes

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Get them on AmazonAmazon partner link

  • A coast road that never passes 15 metresThe highest point comes at 1.1 km, soon after the start; the lowest, 3.4 m, at 20.1 km.
  • Out to Enoshima, back, then out to NinomiyaTwo turnarounds: near the Enoshima entrance first, then the Ninomiya interchange.
  • Nine gates and a sweep busGate times run from 10:10 to 14:55 for a 9:00 start, and a bus sweeps the back.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GradientA coast road that never passes 15 metresThe highest point comes at 1.1 km, soon after the start; the lowest, 3.4 m, at 20.1 km.

This is a flat sea-level course on the Shonan coast. The road runs between 3.4 m and 14.4 m above sea level, 11.0 m from the lowest point to the highest. The high point, 14.4 m, is at 1.1 km, soon after the start; the low point, 3.4 m, is at 20.1 km. Altogether 87% of the course is at 10 m or lower.

The marathon climbs 48.6 m in total, so a watch on the day will count more small rises than this from overpasses and ramps. The figures are for the organiser’s 2026 course.

Measured

km 0 to 42.2GeometryOut to Enoshima, back, then out to NinomiyaTwo turnarounds: near the Enoshima entrance first, then the Ninomiya interchange.

The organiser names the 2026 marathon route in order: the Seisho Bypass from the Oiso West interchange, then Karagahara, the Hiratsuka coast, Yanagishima and the Chigasaki coast to the first turn near the entrance to Enoshima. The runners come back the same way to the bypass and go on to a second turn at the Seisho Ninomiya interchange, then run to the Oiso Prince Hotel. The ninth cut-off gate sits at the Ninomiya interchange, about 39.6 km in. The organiser puts a distance marker at every kilometre and drinks stations about every 200 m from about 5 km to 40 km.

Sourced

km 5 to 42.2TacticsNine gates and a sweep busGate times run from 10:10 to 14:55 for a 9:00 start, and a bus sweeps the back.

For the 9:00 start on 6 December 2026 the organiser sets nine gates: 10:10 at about 5.1 km, 10:56 at 10.8 km, 11:24 at 14.2 km, 12:03 at 19.2 km, 12:25 at 21.9 km, 13:17 at 28.3 km, 14:13 at 35.0 km, 14:29 at 37.1 km and 14:55 at 39.6 km. The finish closes at 15:30, which is a limit of 6 hours 30 minutes. A bus that carries runners who have retired follows the last runner, and a runner it catches is out even before a gate has closed. Every runner must carry a bottle of at least 200 ml of their own to the start line.

Sourced

Race weekend

Sunday 6 December Race day

  1. 06:456:45 AM

    Venue opens Oiso Prince Hotel. Marathon-day schedule on the organiser's page.

  2. 08:008:00 AM

    Runners line up Oiso Prince Hotel. Assembly in the start blocks begins; moving to the start line begins at 8:35.

  3. 09:009:00 AM

    Marathon start Oiso Prince Hotel. The organiser's marathon-day schedule gives 9:00 for the start.

  4. 12:5012:50 PM

    Awards ceremony Oiso Prince Hotel. Marathon awards on the organiser's schedule.

  5. 15:303:30 PM

    Finish cut-off The marathon time limit is 6 hours 30 minutes; the finish closes at 15:30. A sweep bus collects runners who fall behind, and being caught by it ends the race even before a gate closes. 6:30 limit: 9:14/km for 42.195 km6:30 limit: 14:52/mi for 26.2 mi
Cut-offs (9)

  1. 10:1010:10 AM

    Cut-off gate 1 at 5.1 km Gate 1 closes at 10:10, near 平塚八間通り入口交差点付近 (about 5.1 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  2. 10:5610:56 AM

    Cut-off gate 2 at 10.8 km Gate 2 closes at 10:56, near 茅ヶ崎公園 (about 10.8 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  3. 11:2411:24 AM

    Cut-off gate 3 at 14.2 km Gate 3 closes at 11:24, near 辻堂海浜公園西駐車場前 (about 14.2 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  4. 12:0312:03 PM

    Cut-off gate 4 at 19.2 km Gate 4 closes at 12:03, near 中部バス駐車場 (about 19.2 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  5. 12:2512:25 PM

    Cut-off gate 5 at 21.9 km Gate 5 closes at 12:25, near 辻堂海浜公園東駐車場トンネル前 (about 21.9 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  6. 13:171:17 PM

    Cut-off gate 6 at 28.3 km Gate 6 closes at 13:17, near 相模川流域下水道左岸処理場 (about 28.3 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  7. 14:132:13 PM

    Cut-off gate 7 at 35.0 km Gate 7 closes at 14:13, near 大磯港IC (about 35.0 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  8. 14:292:29 PM

    Cut-off gate 8 at 37.1 km Gate 8 closes at 14:29, near 大磯西IC (about 37.1 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

  9. 14:552:55 PM

    Cut-off gate 9 at 39.6 km Gate 9 closes at 14:55, near 西湘二宮IC (about 39.6 km). Runners who have not passed are taken to the venue by vehicle.

Times as published by the organiser, in Shonan, Kanagawa time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Shonan, Kanagawa time

Entry

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Shonan, Kanagawa, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile. Shonan, Kanagawa stays within 11 m36 ft of height, so they go by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Order by 15 November to test them on two long runs first.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
A small balm stick
Illustration · drag to turn

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
A pack of blister plasters
Illustration · drag to turn

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Questions about the 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon)

Is the 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon) course flat?
Yes. It has 48.6 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 11 m above the lowest.
When is the 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon) 2026?
Sunday 6 December 2026. The start is at 09:00.
How do I enter the 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon)?
Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: JP¥16,500 (JP¥21,500 from abroad, for the 2026 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
What is the time limit at the 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon)?
Runners have 6 h 30 min to finish. The finish closes at 15:30.
Where does the 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon) start?
Start: Oiso Prince Hotel.
Runner talk Questions, tips and race reports from other runners about the course and the city.

Keep exploring

More races to look at after the 第21回湘南国際マラソン (Shonan International Marathon).

Marathons people fly to

Races in Asia

Courses on film

All races on film