My marathons

Osaka Marathon

09:159:15 AM In front of the Osaka Prefectural Government Building
Osaka Castle
© OpenStreetMap Osaka Castle. Photograph by 663highland, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons . Course line © OpenStreetMap contributors

The course

Pick a place, or drag along the profile

Downhill to km 27, a slow rise of 19 m to km 33, then downhill again to km 36.

StartFinish

© OpenStreetMap contributors

  1. Photo: Sakai Yayoi, CC0
  2. Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0
  3. Photo: Sakai Yayoi, CC0
  4. Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0
  5. Photo: Sakai Yayoi, CC0
  6. Photo: Sakai Yayoi, CC0
  7. Photo: Sakai Yayoi, CC0
  8. Photo: thatlostdog--, CC BY 2.0
  9. Photo: Sakai Yayoi, CC0
  10. Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0

km 0.3mile 0.2

Osaka Prefectural Government Office (start)

The start is on Uemachi-suji at Fucho-minami, in front of the Prefectural Government Office.

Photo: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0

Height drawn many times taller than life. Heights: Fundamental Geospatial Data digital elevation model.

Course elevation profile, 8× vertical exaggeration Elevation along the course from km 0 to km 42. The trace runs between -1 and 19 metres, a range of 20 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: Tosabori-dori, bridge, km 0.9 to 1; Sonezaki-dori, bridge, km 2.1 to 2.3; Tenjinbashi-suji, bridge, km 6.5 to 6.7; Tosabori-dori, bridge, km 6.8 to 6.9; Sakai-suji, bridge, km 7.2 to 7.4; Hokoryu Bridge, km 7.7 to 7.8; Sendanoki Bridge, km 7.9 to 8; Namba-Sakaigawa Line, bridge, km 14 to 14.1; Route 173, bridge, km 14.1 to 14.2; Route 173, bridge, km 19 to 19.1; Namba-Sakaigawa Line, bridge, km 19.1 to 19.2. 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.
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi

Dashed: bridge

  • downhill to 27
  • slow rise to 33
  • downhill to 36

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

The course in short 3 lines
  • Between sea level and 19 m, almost all of it under 5 mA flat city course: 20 m from lowest point to highest, and most of that is the start and one rise at km 33.
  • The start is the high ground, and the road is down by km 5The first 5 km lose about 13 m, then the road stays low for 25 km.
  • The one rise comes between km 30 and km 35A 16 m rise at the 33 km mark is the only real hill, and the finish stretch after it is flat.
Course notes 4 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GradientBetween sea level and 19 m, almost all of it under 5 mA flat city course: 20 m from lowest point to highest, and most of that is the start and one rise at km 33.

Osaka is a coastal-plain city and the marathon stays on the plain. The lowest point is at km 16.7, 0.7 m below sea level, and the highest is at km 33.3, 19.3 m above it: 20 m of relief in the whole course. 90% of the course sits at 5 m or lower.

Added up, the marathon climbs 34.4 m, The course is the one the organiser publishes for 2027.

Measured

km 0 to 10GradientThe start is the high ground, and the road is down by km 5The first 5 km lose about 13 m, then the road stays low for 25 km.

The race starts in front of the Osaka Prefectural Government Building, on ground at 16.6 m. That is the highest the road gets in the first 33 km. By km 5 the course reads 3.1 m, a drop of 13.5 m, and from km 5 to km 30 it never goes above 4.5 m: the longest stretch of the marathon is the flattest.

The first 10 km lose 17.8 m and climb 3.4 m in all.

Measured

km 30 to 37GradientThe one rise comes between km 30 and km 35A 16 m rise at the 33 km mark is the only real hill, and the finish stretch after it is flat.

After 25 km at near sea level the profile finally moves. From 3.4 m at km 30 the road rises 15.9 m to the high point of the course, 19.3 m at km 33.3, then comes back down: 7.3 m at km 35 and 2.5 m at km 37.

It is a rise of about 16 m over 3.3 km, under half a percent on average, and it comes after 30 km on a course that has been flat since km 5. The final 7 km run between 0.4 m and 6.7 m.

Measured

Whole courseCrowdThe organiser picks your start block, and starting ahead of it is disqualificationWaves start from 9:15; your block comes from the times you declare, and a false best time can cost the entry.

The marathon starts in waves, the first at 9:15, to ease crowding and protect runners. The organiser’s guidelines (in Japanese) say the start blocks are decided by the organiser, “referring to the personal best and predicted time you declared at entry” (自己ベストタイムおよび予想タイムを参考に、競技運営上および安全面の観点から主催者が決定いたします).

A runner who starts ahead of the assigned wave is disqualified (指定されたウェーブより前方からスタートされた場合は、失格となります). The declared best time counts only if it was run at a certified marathon on or after 1 August 2024, and a false declaration can cost the entry. A group entry starts in the block of its slowest member.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Osaka, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile. Osaka stays within 20 m66 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.

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
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

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.

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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.

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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.

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

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

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.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
climb
34.4 m113 ft
cut-off
7:00 h
finishers
31,594
first held
2011

A flat loop through central Osaka in late February, running out from the prefectural government district and back into the grounds of Osaka Castle for the finish.

The Osaka Marathon is a flat loop of 42.2 km with 34.4 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 1 m below sea level and its highest 19 m above it. Next race: Sunday 28 February 2027, starting at 09:15.

Race week

Expo and bib pickup at INTEX Osaka, Hall 6

Timetable

Before race week 7 key dates

  1. 27 Jul 2026 · 10:0010:00 AM

    Citizen Athlete priority entry opens (first-come, first-served) For runners with an age-group qualifying time on a certified course since 1 August 2024. Window ran to 28 July 17:00; the organiser announced it full on 27 July.

  2. 28 Jul 2026 · 10:0010:00 AM

    General and disabled runner entry opens (lottery) Domestic entry via RUNNET, overseas entry via JTB Sports Station. Charity runner entry (first-come) opens at the same time.

  3. 28 Aug 2026 · 17:005:00 PM

    General and disabled runner entry closes

  4. 28 Sept 2026

    Lottery results emailed Your place is confirmed only once payment is completed by the date given in the result email. Extra winners may be notified later depending on uptake.

  5. 5 Oct 2026 · 17:005:00 PM

    Osaka Sports Support Runner donation deadline A hometown-tax donation of 100,000 JPY or more earns an entry code (first-come, first-served); the race entry itself must then be completed by 19 October 17:00.

  6. 19 Oct 2026 · 17:005:00 PM

    Charity runner entry closes First-come, first-served; closes earlier if full. Also the deadline for Osaka Sports Support Runner race entry.

  7. 15 Dec 2026 · 23:5911:59 PM

    Domestic charity runner fundraising period ends A domestic charity runner who has not reached 70,000 JPY in total donations by then is charged the shortfall. Overseas charity runners pay their donation at entry.

Friday 26 February Bib pickup

  1. 11:0011:00 AM–19:007:00 PM

    Runner registration (bib pick-up), day 1 of 2 INTEX Osaka, Hall 6. In person only, no proxy. Bring photo ID; disabled runners bring the certificate registered at entry.

  2. 11:0011:00 AM–19:307:30 PM

    Osaka Marathon EXPO 2027 exhibition area open INTEX Osaka, Hall 6. Last admission 19:00.

Saturday 27 February Last bib day

  1. 10:0010:00 AM–18:006:00 PM

    Runner registration (bib pick-up), final day INTEX Osaka, Hall 6. Hard deadline: there is no registration on race day. In person only, with photo ID.

  2. 10:0010:00 AM–18:306:30 PM

    Osaka Marathon EXPO 2027 exhibition area open, final day INTEX Osaka, Hall 6. Last admission 18:00.

Sunday 28 February Race day

  1. 09:159:15 AM

    Marathon Wave 1 start In front of the Osaka Prefectural Government Building. Waves 2 and 3 follow in sequence; their times are not published. Starting ahead of your assigned wave means disqualification.

  2. until 16:154:15 PM

    Marathon closes: 7-hour time limit Osaka Castle Park (finish). Overall time limit 7 hours, from 09:15 to 16:15. Entrants must be able to finish by the close. Intermediate cut-offs are not yet published. 7:00 limit: 9:57/km for 42.195 km7:00 limit: 16:01/mi for 26.2 mi
Other races (2)

  1. 09:459:45 AM–11:0511:05 AM

    720 Naniwa Marathon (7.2 km run) start In front of the Osaka Prefectural Government Building. Starts from the head of Wave 3; finishes in front of Nakanoshima Children's Book Forest. Time limit 1 hour 20 minutes.

  2. 10:3010:30 AM–11:0011:00 AM

    720 Naniwa Marathon (720 m wheelchair) start Shiromi 1 intersection to Osaka Castle Park. Check-in on race day 09:00 to 10:00.

Times as published by Osaka Marathon Foundation, in Osaka time, checked .

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Osaka time

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

Osaka Marathon Foundation, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

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Questions about the Osaka Marathon

Is the Osaka Marathon course flat?

Yes. It has 34.4 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 20 m above the lowest. It finishes 13 m lower than it starts.

When is the Osaka Marathon 2027?

Sunday 28 February 2027. The start is at 09:15.

How do I enter the Osaka Marathon?

Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: JP¥16,000 (US$145 from abroad, for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site

3 more questions
What is the time limit at the Osaka Marathon?

Runners have 7 hours to finish. The finish closes at 16:15.

Where does the Osaka Marathon start?

Start: In front of the Osaka Prefectural Government Building.

How many runners finish the Osaka Marathon?

31,594 runners finished in 2019.

In the news

All race news →

Sources and licence

Last checked.

Course line matched onto OpenStreetMap road geometry: (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License 1.0 (ODbL). Elevation sampled from Fundamental Geospatial Data digital elevation model (kiban chizu joho suchi hyokou model), best available: 1 m airborne laser over central Tokyo: 出典：国土地理院ウェブサイト (https://maps.gsi.go.jp/development/ichiran.html) を加工して作成 / Elevation derived from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan's digital elevation model, GSI content usage terms, applying the Public Data License 1.0.

Elevation gain computed by us from that line, smoothed over 1 kmsmoothed over 0.6 mi.

The line follows the road down its middle, so it measures 2.91% longer than the certified distance, which is measured on the shortest legal line through every bend.

Date and entry information from Osaka Marathon Foundation.

Every source and licence behind them →

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