Highlights
- 20th-anniversary edition with a 40,000-runner field
- Course: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – Suidobashi – Asakusa Kaminarimon – Ryogoku – Ginza – Hibiya – Tokyo Station/Gyoko-dori
- Global Volunteers (overseas residents) apply Nov 4–23, 2026 (JST)
Background & story
First held in 2007, the Tokyo Marathon is Japan's premier mass marathon and a World Marathon Majors race; 2027 marks its 20th running.
Tokyo Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday, March 7, 2027: the marathon starts at 9:10 a.m. JST outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and finishes on Gyoko-dori in front of Tokyo Station. The runner ballot is over — results went out by September 18 — so the one door still open to overseas visitors is volunteering: Global Volunteer applications run November 4–23, 2026 (JST). It is the race's 20th-anniversary edition, with a field of 40,000.
Where things stand (checked October 14, 2026)
- General Entry ballot: applications ran Aug 14–28 and were oversubscribed, so places were drawn. Results went out on Sept 11 (ONE TOKYO three-consecutive-miss challenge), Sept 16 (Tokyo-resident draw) and Sept 18 (general draw) — check My Entry.
- Payment for selected runners: 11:00 a.m. Sept 18 to 5:00 p.m. Sept 30 JST; unpaid places were forfeited.
- Charity: charity-runner selection and payment are finished, and donation-only applications closed at 5:00 p.m. on Aug 31.
- Volunteers: open now — see the table below.
- Still want a bib? Only prize-draw campaigns run by the organizer and its partners remain, announced on the official news page (the "Interview Relay 2027" campaign closed on October 13). The virtual-run series listed under "Win Your Entry Ticket" award places for the 2028 race, not 2027.
Race facts (official race information)
- Date: Sunday, March 7, 2027
- Start times and cut-offs: marathon 9:10 a.m.–4:10 p.m. (7 hours); wheelchair marathon 9:05–11:35 a.m. (2 hours 30 minutes)
- Field: 40,000
- Entry fee: JPY 19,800 domestic / USD 230 international (fee, handling fee and tax included)
- Eligibility: 19 or older on race day (born on or before March 7, 2008); general runners must be able to finish within 6 hours 30 minutes
- Bib pick-up (in person, Tokyo Big Sight South Halls): March 4–5, 10:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; March 6, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; no race-day pick-up. The EXPO in the same halls runs until 9:00 p.m. on March 4–5 and 6:00 p.m. on March 6 (last entry 30 minutes earlier).
- Status: an Abbott World Marathon Majors race that also serves as a selection race for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 2027 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
Volunteering from overseas: Global Volunteer
| Step | Date (JST) |
|---|---|
| VOLUNTAINER overseas membership registration | Opened 12:00 p.m., Tue Oct 6, 2026 |
| Global Volunteer applications | 12:00 p.m. Wed Nov 4 – 5:00 p.m. Mon Nov 23, 2026 |
| Selection results and activity block | Thu Jan 14, 2027, 5:00 p.m. |
| Activity details | Wed Feb 17, 2027 |
| Volunteer check-in (ID check, kit) | March 4–6, 2027, Tokyo Big Sight Conference Tower 1F |
| Race day | Sunday, March 7, 2027 |
You must be 18 or over and a registered VOLUNTAINER member. Planned roles are aid stations and the finish area along the course; travel, meals and drinks are at your own cost, and the organizer does not prepare visa documents. Japan-resident volunteers apply in Japanese through VOLUNTAINER (members and juniors until 5:00 p.m. Nov 23; leaders and leader support until Oct 26), and those categories are drawn if oversubscribed.
The course
The official route runs Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – Suidobashi – Ueno-hirokoji – Kanda – Nihombashi – Asakusa Kaminarimon Gate – Ryogoku – Monzen-nakacho – Ginza – Tamachi – Hibiya – Tokyo Station/Gyoko-dori Ave. It is certified by the JAAF, AIMS and World Athletics.
Watching for free
You don't need an entry to be part of race day — the course is free to watch, with the biggest crowds around Asakusa's Kaminarimon Gate and the Ginza stretch. Roads around the course are closed on race day (2027 closure details not yet published, checked 2026-10-14), so take the train and reach your spot well before the 9:10 a.m. start.
Dates and conditions follow the Tokyo Marathon Foundation's official site (marathon.tokyo/en) as checked on October 14, 2026. They can change — confirm on the official site before you apply.
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Racing in Japan? All eight 2026–2027 marathons, entry windows and how overseas runners get a guaranteed bib: Japan Marathons guide.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Start near Tochomae Station; finish near Tokyo Station / Gyoko-dori. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- groups of friends, culture seekers
Good to know
The runner ballot and charity entries are closed. If you want in now, volunteer: register with VOLUNTAINER first, then apply (Global Volunteers Nov 4–23 JST, ages 18+). Spectators: Kaminarimon and Ginza get crowded — arrive well before the 9:10 a.m. start.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Tokyo Marathon 2027 and what time does it start?
- Sunday, March 7, 2027. The marathon starts at 9:10 a.m. JST with a 7-hour cut-off (finish closes 4:10 p.m.); the wheelchair marathon starts at 9:05 a.m. with a 2 hour 30 minute limit (official race information, checked 2026-10-14).
- When were the Tokyo Marathon 2027 lottery results announced — can I still enter?
- The General Entry results were sent in three draws: the ONE TOKYO three-consecutive-miss challenge on Sept 11, the Tokyo-resident draw on Sept 16 and the general draw on Sept 18, 2026, viewable in My Entry. Selected runners had to pay between 11:00 a.m. Sept 18 and 5:00 p.m. Sept 30 JST or lose the place. General Entry closed Aug 28 and donation-only charity applications closed Aug 31, so the regular routes are shut; the remaining chances are prize-draw campaigns announced on the official news page (checked 2026-10-14).
- Can overseas residents volunteer at Tokyo Marathon 2027?
- Yes. Global Volunteer is for people living outside Japan aged 18 or over. First register as a VOLUNTAINER overseas member (opened Oct 6, 2026), then apply between 12:00 p.m. Wed Nov 4 and 5:00 p.m. Mon Nov 23, 2026 (JST). Selection results are due Jan 14, 2027. The organizer does not issue visa documents (official Global Volunteer guidelines, checked 2026-10-14).
- How much is the Tokyo Marathon 2027 entry fee and how big is the field?
- JPY 19,800 for domestic participants and USD 230 for international participants (entry fee, handling fee and tax included). The field is 40,000. Runners must be 19 or older on race day (born on or before March 7, 2008) and able to finish within 6 hours 30 minutes (official race information, checked 2026-10-14).
- Where and when is bib pick-up for Tokyo Marathon 2027?
- At Tokyo Big Sight South Hall, together with the EXPO: March 4–5, 2027 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and March 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Runners must collect in person; there is no pick-up on race day (official race information, checked 2026-10-14).
Getting there
Start: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building; Finish: Tokyo Station area — 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (start)