Sold out for the 2027 race
As read 15 October 2026.
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Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
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Osaka Half Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 12:0012:00 PM
- Distance
- 21.1 km13.1 mi
- Half marathon, from the race name, not from a published programme
- Entry
- Sold out
- JP¥10,000. For the 2027 race
- Time limit
- 2 h 5 min
- Finish closes 14:052:05 PM
The course
The half marathon starts at Osaka Castle Park and finishes inside Yanmar Stadium Nagai, on a course the organiser calls flat and fast.
- From Osaka Castle Park to Yanmar Stadium NagaiCastle Park start, stadium finish, no height difference.
- Two hours five minutes, with seven gatesGates at 2.0, 5.8, 6.9, 12.6, 14.9, 18.6 and 20.6 km.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
Whole courseFinishFrom Osaka Castle Park to Yanmar Stadium NagaiCastle Park start, stadium finish, no height difference.
The organiser describes the course as flat, with little height difference, and says top corporate-team athletes run it every year. The course is JAAF certified at 21.0975 km and WA and AIMS certified. Part of it was changed from the 2017 race to help personal bests. It shares much of its road with the Osaka International Women’s Marathon, run on the same day on a course where the two fields pass each other, so runners use city avenues that are normally open to traffic. The women’s marathon runners return to the stadium after the half marathon finishes.
Sourced
Whole courseTacticsTwo hours five minutes, with seven gatesGates at 2.0, 5.8, 6.9, 12.6, 14.9, 18.6 and 20.6 km.
The gun is at 12:00. A runner who misses a gate closing time cannot continue, and a runner who is clearly behind the pace can be stopped on the course. The 2027 race had 7,000 places, first come first served, and the organiser closed entries on 10 October 2026 after reaching that number.
Sourced
Race weekend
Sunday 31 January Race day
-
14:052:05 PM
Time limit 2 hours 5 minutes The time limit of 2 hours 5 minutes is counted from the gun. 2:05 limit: 5:55/km for 21.0975 km2:05 limit: 9:32/mi for 13.1 mi
Cut-offs and other races (8)
-
12:0012:00 PM
Half marathon start Osaka Castle Park, east side (Tamatsukuri-suji). The race starts at 12:00 and runs in the rain or shine; the finish is at Yanmar Stadium Nagai. -
12:1812:18 PM
Cut-off gate 1 at 2.0 km Gate 1 closes at 12:18, at Tamatsukuri-suji, south of the Funabashicho intersection (about 2.0 km). Runners who have not passed cannot continue. -
12:3912:39 PM
Cut-off gate 2 at 5.8 km Gate 2 closes at 12:39, at Tamatsukuri-suji, north end of Benten-bashi (about 5.8 km). Runners who have not passed cannot continue. -
12:4412:44 PM
Cut-off gate 3 at 6.9 km Gate 3 closes at 12:44, at Tamatsukuri-suji, in front of Morinomiya Station (about 6.9 km). Runners who have not passed cannot continue. -
13:141:14 PM
Cut-off gate 4 at 12.6 km Gate 4 closes at 13:14, at Imazato-suji, in front of Tobu Market (about 12.6 km). Runners who have not passed cannot continue. -
13:281:28 PM
Cut-off gate 5 at 14.9 km Gate 5 closes at 13:28, at Matsumushi-dori, Kitatanabe 6 intersection (about 14.9 km). Runners who have not passed cannot continue. -
13:511:51 PM
Cut-off gate 6 at 18.6 km Gate 6 closes at 13:51, at Nagai Park, south-west entrance (about 18.6 km). Runners who have not passed cannot continue. -
14:052:05 PM
Cut-off gate 7 at 20.6 km Gate 7 closes at 14:05, at Yanmar Stadium Nagai, in front of the Marathon Gate (about 20.6 km). Runners who have not passed cannot continue.
Times as published by the organiser, in Osaka time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
We hold no start time for this race, so the record is read at 09:009:00 AM, local time.
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Osaka time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
2 gels for Osaka, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7.3mile 4.6
- km 14.7mile 9.1
For your long training runs:
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. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
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
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
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
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
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 Osaka Half Marathon
- When is the Osaka Half Marathon 2027?
- Sunday 31 January 2027. The start is at 12:00.
- How do I enter the Osaka Half Marathon?
- The 2027 race is sold out. Entry opened on 5 August 2026. Entry fee: JP¥10,000 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- What is the time limit at the Osaka Half Marathon?
- Runners have 2 h 5 min to finish. The finish closes at 14:05.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Osaka Half Marathon.
