Highlights
- Sunday, Feb 21, 2027, gun at 9:00 a.m. JST — 10,800 marathon places, 6-hour limit (gun time)
- JAAF- and AIMS-certified course from Kitakyushu City Hall out to the Mojiko turnaround (with a view of the Kanmon Bridge) and back to the International Conference Center
- Every category was oversubscribed: lottery results Oct 16, 10:00 JST; payment deadline Oct 30 (checked 2026-10-13)
- New for 2027: a four-person team competition for confirmed marathon runners, and a 1.5 km wheelchair fun run
Background & story
The race began on February 9, 2014, as the finale of Kitakyushu's 50th-anniversary events. The 2026 edition (Feb 15, 2026) was the 13th; according to the city, about 4,000 volunteers ran it and 310,000 people cheered along the course.
Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday, February 21, 2027, with a 9:00 a.m. JST start at Kitakyushu City Hall and a finish at the Kitakyushu International Conference Center. The marathon entry fee is ¥15,500 for Japan entries and ¥20,000 through the overseas entry site (the overseas quota has already closed). Every category was oversubscribed, so places are decided by lottery: results come out on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 10:00 JST on RUNNET, and winners must pay by Friday, October 30 under the official entry flow (the exact deadline is given in the result notice; checked 2026-10-13 against the official site and City of Kitakyushu documents).
The course takes in both Kokura and the port district of Mojiko on the Kanmon Strait. It is a city marathon with 10,800 marathon places on a course certified by both the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) and AIMS.
Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, February 21, 2027 |
| Start times | 9:00 marathon, pair relay, 20.7 km / 10:00 fun run (planned) |
| Closing times | 10:45 fun run / 12:00 20.7 km / 15:00 marathon and pair relay |
| Start | In front of Kitakyushu City Hall (1-1 Jonai, Kokurakita-ku) |
| Finish | In front of Kitakyushu International Conference Center (Asano, Kokurakita-ku) |
| Course | JAAF- and AIMS-certified |
| Bib pickup | Saturday, Feb 20, 9:00–20:00, Kitakyushu Messe (EXPO venue) |
| Organizers | City of Kitakyushu and Kitakyushu Athletic Association |
Races, field sizes and fees
| Race | Places | Time limit | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon (42.195 km) | 10,800 | 6 hours | ¥15,500 Japan / ¥20,000 overseas |
| Pair relay (about 20.4 km + 21.8 km) | 250 pairs (500 runners) | 6 hours | ¥29,000 per pair |
| 20.7 km race | 250 | 3 hours | ¥14,500 |
| Fun run (1.5 / 3 / 5 km) | 1,000 (30 wheelchair places) | 45 minutes | ¥5,000 adults / ¥1,500 high-school age and under |
A handling fee is added on top. For example, paying the marathon fee by card brings the total to ¥16,370 (¥870 fee). There is no free participation T-shirt this year. The official race T-shirt is an optional extra at ¥2,000. Fees went up for 2027: the 2026 marathon was ¥14,500, the pair relay ¥27,000 and the 20.7 km ¥13,500, according to the City of Kitakyushu's report.
Marathon entrants must be born on or before April 1, 2008, and able to finish within 5 hours 40 minutes. Wheelchair entry is possible only in the 1.5 km fun run.
The entry timeline — what matters now
| Date (JST) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2026, 10:00 | Entry opened |
| Sep 4, 20:00 | Speed-runner and seeded quotas closed |
| Sep 24, 20:00 | General and Kitakyushu-resident quotas closed — all races oversubscribed |
| Oct 16, 10:00 | Lottery results on RUNNET My Page (emails from about 10:30, not resent) |
| Oct 16 onward | Applications open for the new team competition |
| Oct 19, 17:00 | Group applications close for the volunteer running quota (50 first-come places; closes earlier if the 50 places fill or volunteer recruitment reaches its cap) |
| Oct 30 | Payment deadline for lottery winners (per the official entry flow; the exact date is in the result notice; late payment is not accepted) |
| Nov 6, 20:00 | Sports-promotion (hometown tax donation) quota closes (first-come). The overseas quota was also scheduled to close on this date but has already closed |
| Nov 6 | Volunteer running quota: deadline for groups that applied by Oct 19 to register their runners and pay |
If you win but do not pay by the deadline, your place is cancelled. Once you have paid, there are no refunds or cancellations. The official entry-flow page also says extra winners may be notified, depending on how many winners pay.
Overseas runners: the 2027 quota has closed
The organizers set aside a priority quota for people living outside Japan: 100 first-come marathon places at ¥20,000 through the overseas entry site, with entry scheduled from July 31 to November 6, 2026, 20:00 JST. That quota has already closed. On October 13, 2026, the overseas entry page says "An entry has been closed", and the OVERSEAS ENTRY banner on the official homepage is marked 受付終了しました ("entry closed"). November 6 was only the scheduled end date; the entry page warns that registration may close early once the race reaches capacity.
No other open quota is set aside for overseas residents (checked 2026-10-13). The sports-promotion quota below is open to both Kitakyushu residents and non-residents and posts its bibs in advance to the address on the runner's RUNNET account; the volunteer running quota is for groups of 10 or more who volunteer on race day. Check the conditions on the official site before relying on either route.
Runners who live in Japan and miss the lottery have one more route, the sports-promotion runner quota (a hometown tax donation, furusato nozei). A ¥30,000 donation (60 units) plus a ¥10,000 entry fee buys a place with your bib posted to you in advance. Non-residents of Kitakyushu can give ¥50,000 (100 units) and also receive a gift box of local food. The quota has 700 marathon places and 100 places in the 20.7 km race, open until November 6.
What's new in 2027
- Team competition (marathon): runners who win a marathon place and pay can enter as a team of four: men's, women's, or mixed (two men and two women). Applications open on October 16 via the official site.
- Wheelchair fun run: a 1.5 km wheelchair category has been added to the fun run (30 places).
The course and cut-offs
The race leaves Kitakyushu City Hall and passes Itozu-no-Mori Park, the Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History, and the Higashida district. It runs through the Shinkansen side of Kokura Station, then heads east to Moji. Near the Mojiko roundabout and the second turnaround you look across to the Kanmon Bridge, and the course then comes back along the strait to the International Conference Center. Checkpoints are planned at points from 3 km to 40 km. The main ones are:
| Checkpoint | Location | Distance | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 km | Itozu-no-Mori Park | 3.1 km | 9:40 |
| 20 km | Kokura Station (Shinkansen exit) crossing | 20.3 km | 12:00 |
| 25 km | Moji Station north crossing | 25.5 km | 12:43 |
| 32 km | Nishikaigan car park | 32.0 km | 13:36 |
| 40 km | Akasaka Kaigan crossing | 39.9 km | 14:41 |
Anyone who has not passed the International Conference Center crossing by 15:00 is directed onto the sidewalk. The organizers say checkpoint locations and times may change.
Getting there on race weekend
- Start (Kitakyushu City Hall): 10 minutes on foot from the south exit of JR Nishi-Kokura Station, 15 minutes from the Kokura Castle (south) exit of JR Kokura Station, or 10 minutes from Heiwa-dori or Tanga monorail stations.
- Bib pickup and finish side (Kitakyushu Messe): 5 minutes from the Shinkansen (north) exit of JR Kokura Station via the pedestrian deck.
- There is no parking at the venues, and February 21 is a no-car day. Only runners and staff may enter the start area around City Hall and the finish area. The organizers will post road-closure times and bus changes when they are fixed.
- For the marathon, the first pair-relay leg and the 20.7 km race, the organizers carry your bag from start to finish. It must fit in the bag they hand out.
Last year's numbers
According to the City of Kitakyushu, the 2026 race on February 15 had 10,892 marathon starters and 9,700 finishers, a finish rate of 89.1%. The time limit is generous, but some checkpoints close early, so plan to run comfortably inside 5 hours 40 minutes.
For other races, our guide to Japan's marathons in 2026–2027 covers dates and entry routes. The Tokyo Marathon 2027 page covers the March race in the capital.
Sources (checked 2026-10-13)
- Kitakyushu Marathon official race outline: https://kitakyushu-marathon.jp/about/
- Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 runner recruitment guidelines (PDF): https://kitakyushu-marathon.jp/wp-content/themes/kks/docs/runner_information2027.pdf
- Official news posts: lottery result date (Oct 9, 2026), entry closed (Sep 25, 2026), team competition (Oct 9, 2026), all on https://kitakyushu-marathon.jp/
- Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 volunteer guidelines, incl. the volunteer running quota (PDF): https://kitakyushu-marathon.jp/wp-content/themes/kks/img/volunteer/volunteer_application2027.pdf
- City of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu Marathon: https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/shimin/01600109.html
- City of Kitakyushu report on the 2026 race and the 2027 edition (PDF): https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/files/001220667.pdf
Update log: 2026-10-13 — published with the official 2027 outline, the October 16 lottery result date and the team-competition opening date.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- The start at Kitakyushu City Hall is a 10-minute walk from the south exit of JR Nishi-Kokura Station (15 minutes from JR Kokura Station's Kokura Castle exit). Bib pickup at Kitakyushu Messe is a 5-minute walk from the Shinkansen (north) exit of JR Kokura Station. There is no parking; race day is a no-car day. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Applying is free; you pay the entry fee plus a handling fee only if you win the lottery (card, convenience store, PayPal, Amazon Pay, Pay-easy, RUNPO). Fees are not refunded after payment.
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
Good to know
The overseas runner quota (100 first-come places, ¥20,000) has already closed. It was scheduled to run until Nov 6, 2026, but the overseas entry page showed "An entry has been closed" on Oct 13, 2026. Bib pickup is only on Saturday, Feb 20, 9:00–20:00 at Kitakyushu Messe; there is no race-day pickup.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Kitakyushu Marathon 2027?
- Sunday, February 21, 2027. The marathon, pair relay and 20.7 km race start at 9:00 a.m. JST (planned) and the fun run at 10:00. The marathon closes at 15:00 and the 20.7 km at 12:00 (checked against the official race outline on 2026-10-13).
- When are the Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 lottery results announced?
- Friday, October 16, 2026. Results appear on the RUNNET "My Page" from 10:00 JST, and applicants (the representative for pairs and groups) get an email from about 10:30 — it is not resent. Under the official entry flow, winners must pay by Friday, October 30; the exact deadline is given in the result notice (checked 2026-10-13).
- How much is the entry fee?
- The marathon costs ¥15,500 for Japan entries and ¥20,000 through the overseas entry site. The pair relay is ¥29,000 per pair, the 20.7 km race ¥14,500, and the fun run ¥5,000 for adults or ¥1,500 for high-school age and under. A handling fee is added (¥870 for the marathon by card), and the T-shirt is +¥2,000. The 2026 marathon fee was ¥14,500.
- Can overseas runners still enter?
- Not through the overseas quota. That quota (100 first-come marathon places for people living outside Japan, ¥20,000) has already closed: on October 13, 2026, the overseas entry page says "An entry has been closed". November 6, 2026, 20:00 JST was only its scheduled end date. No other open quota is set aside for overseas residents, so watch the official site for any change (checked 2026-10-13).
- What are the cut-off times?
- The marathon has a 6-hour limit measured from the gun, and entrants should be able to finish within 5 hours 40 minutes. Checkpoints are planned at points from 3 km to 40 km. The 20 km checkpoint at the Kokura Station Shinkansen-exit crossing closes at 12:00, and the 40 km checkpoint at Akasaka Kaigan closes at 14:41.
- Where and when is bib pickup?
- Bib pickup is only on Saturday, February 20, 2027, 9:00–20:00, at the Kitakyushu Messe EXPO venue, 5 minutes on foot from the Shinkansen (north) exit of JR Kokura Station. There is no pickup two days before or on race day.
Getting there
Start: Kitakyushu City Hall / Finish: Kitakyushu International Conference Center — 1-1 Jonai, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka (start)