Kobe Marathon

Kobe is squeezed between the mountains and the bay, and the course stays on the strip in between. The road runs between 0.6 m and 8.6 m above sea level, 8 m from the lowest point to the highest. The high point is at km 13.2, on the way out toward Akashi; the low point is at km 38.9, on the way home.

In all the marathon climbs 29.7 m, about 17.9 m of it before halfway and 11.7 m after. The road crosses bridge decks at about km 10, 22 and 33. A watch on the day will count more small rises than these figures do.

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Kobe City Hall is the start, and within the first kilometre the road passes within 100 m of Nankinmachi, the city’s Chinatown. The course then heads west along the coast and into the neighbouring city of Akashi. The turn comes near Okura Coast, just past halfway, at about km 21.5.

The way back repeats the coast road, and the finish is at Kobe Harborland, on the Gas Lamp Street. The race is a World Athletics Label road race, and the course is certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and by World Athletics and AIMS, the organiser says.

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From 35 km to the finish the organiser times the 7.195 km separately. The prize goes to the fastest man and woman living in Japan, of any nationality, who finish inside a set time: 2:45 for men, 3:30 for women.

It is the right place for a challenge. The last 7.2 km stay between 0.6 m and 2.6 m above the bay, so the closing kilometres cost no climbing at all.

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The turn comes just past halfway, at Okura Coast in Akashi, a curved sandy beach with the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge close at hand. The organiser picked it for the view: across the water are Awaji Island and the Akashi Strait.

From here every kilometre runs back toward Kobe along the same coast, so the bridge is behind you for the rest of the race. If you want a look at it, take it on the way in.

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