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Mount Fuji Marathon

Start 09:009:00 AM Yamanashi Prefecture

The Mount Fuji Marathon is a hilly course of 42.2 km with 201.2 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 834 m and its highest 922 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 13 December 2026, starting at 09:00.

Lake Kawaguchi
Lake Kawaguchi. Photograph by 663highland, CC BY-SA 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 · 5K · Walk
Total climb
201.2 m660 ft
Highest point 87 m285 ft above lowest
Time limit
6 hours
Finish closes 15:003:00 PM

The course

Pick a place, or drag along the profile

The course stays between 834 m and 922 m above sea level, climbs 201.2 m in the full marathon, and its high point comes at 30.2 km after a climb that starts near 20 km.

Start, finish

© OpenStreetMap contributors

  1. Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0

km 12.6mile 7.8

Kawaguchiko Bridge

The organiser's first cut-off gate stands just before the Kawaguchiko Bridge, at about 12.1 km.

Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0

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 834 and 922 metres, a range of 87 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: 富士河口湖富士線, km 12.3 to 12.9. 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 10:57 at km 12.1; Cut-off 12:03 at km 20.5; Cut-off 13:00 at km 27.3; Cut-off 13:24 at km 30.3; Cut-off 14:03 at km 35.1; Cut-off 14:24 at km 37.7.
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

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  • Around two lakes, with one long climb to SaikoLevel by Lake Kawaguchi until 20 km, then up to 922 m at 30 km and back down.
  • Six gates and a six-hour limit from the gunGates at 12.1, 20.5, 27.3, 30.3, 35.1 and 37.7 km; the finish closes at 15:00.
  • A two-day weekend with Fuji in viewSaturday: Fuji View Run (4 and 8 km) and Walk. Sunday: marathon, 17 km lake loop and charity run.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GradientAround two lakes, with one long climb to SaikoLevel by Lake Kawaguchi until 20 km, then up to 922 m at 30 km and back down.

The start is already high, at about 839 m, and the first 20 km stay between about 835 m and 868 m along Lake Kawaguchi: the road is at 836 m at km 10 and 837 m at km 20. Then it climbs, to about 907 m at km 25 and 922 m at km 30, the highest point of the course at 30.2 km. The descent is as long: 862 m at km 35, 838 m at km 37.7 and 835 m at km 40, then a level finish at 839 m.

In all the marathon climbs 201.2 m, which a watch on the day will count differently. The organiser sets six cut-off gates, the fourth at 30.3 km, close to the high point.

Measured

km 12.1 to 42.2TacticsSix gates and a six-hour limit from the gunGates at 12.1, 20.5, 27.3, 30.3, 35.1 and 37.7 km; the finish closes at 15:00.

On Sunday 13 December 2026 the marathon starts at 9:00 and runners have 6 hours, counted from the gun, so the finish closes at 15:00. The six gates are in front of the Kawaguchiko Bridge (12.1 km, 10:57), the Terasaki fishing cooperative car park (20.5 km, 12:03), in front of Saiko Gyomin-so (27.3 km, 13:00), in front of Saiko Community Hall (30.3 km, 13:24), the Ashiwada branch office (35.1 km, 14:03) and the Katsuyama roadside station (37.7 km, 14:24). The start and the finish are both at the Funatsuhama Hirahama car park in Fujikawaguchiko, on a course certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations.

Sourced

Whole courseCrowdA two-day weekend with Fuji in viewSaturday: Fuji View Run (4 and 8 km) and Walk. Sunday: marathon, 17 km lake loop and charity run.

The organiser’s home page says the 15th Mount Fuji Marathon is held on 12 and 13 December 2026 in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi. Saturday has the new Fuji View Run (4 km and 8 km) and Fuji View Walk. Sunday has the full marathon, a marathon with a finish-support programme, the 17 km run around Lake Kawaguchi and the 10.5 km charity fun run. The organiser reports that general entry in all full marathon categories for international residents sold out.

Sourced

Race weekend

Bib pickup at Funatsuhama Hirahama car park, Fujikawaguchiko

Before race week 1 key date

  1. 7 Dec 2026

    Bib pick-up opens at Alpen TOKYO, Shinjuku Monday 7 to Friday 11 December 2026, as an alternative to collecting at the venue.

Saturday 12 December Bib pickup

  1. 12:0012:00 PM–19:007:00 PM

    Bib pick-up at the venue Funatsuhama Hirahama car park, Fujikawaguchiko. Race reception on Saturday 12 December; the day before the marathon.

Bib in hand?A number belt holds it without pins through your race top. Clip it on tonight.

Number belt on AmazonAmazon partner link

Sunday 13 December Race day

  1. 07:007:00 AM–08:008:00 AM

    Race-day reception Funatsuhama Hirahama car park. Bib, timing chip and bag collection on race morning for runners who did not collect earlier.

  2. 09:009:00 AM

    Marathon start Funatsuhama Hirahama car park. The marathon starts at 9:00 from the Funatsuhama Hirahama car park in Fujikawaguchiko, which is also the finish.

  3. 15:003:00 PM

    Finish cut-off The time limit is 6 hours counted from the gun, so the finish closes at 15:00. 6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi
Cut-offs (6)

  1. 10:5710:57 AM

    Cut-off gate 1 at 12.1 km Gate closes at 10:57, in front of the Kawaguchiko Bridge.

  2. 12:0312:03 PM

    Cut-off gate 2 at 20.5 km Gate closes at 12:03, Terasaki fishing cooperative car park.

  3. 13:001:00 PM

    Cut-off gate 3 at 27.3 km Gate closes at 13:00, in front of Saiko Gyomin-so.

  4. 13:241:24 PM

    Cut-off gate 4 at 30.3 km Gate closes at 13:24, in front of Saiko Community Hall.

  5. 14:032:03 PM

    Cut-off gate 5 at 35.1 km Gate closes at 14:03, Ashiwada branch office.

  6. 14:242:24 PM

    Cut-off gate 6 at 37.7 km Gate closes at 14:24, Roadside station Katsuyama.

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

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Yamanashi Prefecture 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 Yamanashi Prefecture, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile, 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 22 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 Mount Fuji Marathon

Is the Mount Fuji Marathon course flat?
No, it is a hilly course: 201.2 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 87 m above the lowest.
When is the Mount Fuji Marathon 2026?
Sunday 13 December 2026. The start is at 09:00.
What is the time limit at the Mount Fuji Marathon?
Runners have 6 hours to finish. The finish closes at 15:00.
Where does the Mount Fuji Marathon start?
Start: Funatsuhama Hirahama car park.
Runner talk Questions, tips and race reports from other runners about the course and the city.

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