亮点
- A JAAF / World Athletics Label, AIMS-certified 42.195 km course for up to 20,000 runners, turning around at Akashi's Okura Coast with views of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and Awaji Island before finishing at the Harborland waterfront
- Doubles as an official qualifying race in the 2026–27 MGC Series (Men's Group 2 / Women's Group 3) for Japan's elite marathoners
- Runs under the enduring theme 'Thanks & Friendship,' with aid stations along the entire route staffed almost entirely by local volunteers
由来与背景
Created in 2011 as Kobe's thank-you to everyone who supported the city's recovery from the Great Hanshin earthquake of January 1995, the race runs under the theme 'Thanks & Friendship' — and it also nods to Kobe's deeper marathon history, since Japan's very first marathon race was run here in 1909.
Kobe Marathon 2026 takes place on Sunday, November 15, 2026, starting at 9:00 a.m. (first wave; second wave 9:15 a.m.) from the plaza in front of Kobe City Hall, near Sannomiya Station, and finishing at Kobe Harborland's Gas Lamp Street on the waterfront. It's a JAAF / World Athletics Label, AIMS-certified 42.195 km course, capped at 20,000 marathon runners plus 150 two-person relay teams, and this year it also doubles as an official qualifying race in the 2026–27 MGC Series for Japan's elite marathoners.
General-entry applications for this edition already closed (April 17 – June 1, 2026), and lottery results went out on July 2, 2026 — so if you're reading this without a bib, treat what follows as a spectator's and planner's guide, and a heads-up to register early for future editions.
Quick facts (as of September 18, 2026, from the official race guidelines)
- Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026
- Start: 9:00 a.m. (wave 1) / 9:15 a.m. (wave 2), Kobe City Hall Plaza
- Finish: Kobe Harborland (Gas Lamp Street)
- Distance: 42.195 km, out to the Okura Coast in Akashi City and back
- Time limit: 7 hours (course closes 4:00 p.m.)
- Entry fee: ¥18,000 (Japan residents) / ¥24,200 (overseas entrants); 2-person relay ¥30,400
- Field size: 20,000 marathon runners + 150 relay teams (300 people)
- Organizer: Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City, and the Hyogo Athletics Association
What it is, and why it matters
Kobe didn't have a big city-wide marathon until 2011 — the race was created as a thank-you to everyone who supported the city's recovery from the Great Hanshin earthquake of January 1995, one of the deadliest disasters in modern Japanese history. The event runs under the enduring theme "Thanks & Friendship," and it shows: aid stations along the entire route are staffed almost entirely by local volunteers, and the course is designed to run runners through the rebuilt city rather than tuck them away on back streets. There's a second layer of history here too — Kobe is where Japan's very first marathon, held in 1909, took place, and a commemorative stone at City Hall nods to that lineage.
The course
The route starts at Kobe City Hall in the heart of downtown, heads west toward Akashi, and turns around at Okura Coast — a stretch that opens up sweeping views of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and Awaji Island — before returning along Kobe's waterfront to finish at Harborland, the shopping-and-promenade district built on former shipyard land near the Kobe Port Tower area. A 2025 course revision removed a late hilly section, dropping the overall elevation change to around 10 meters, so the race now favors a fast finish for both elite and everyday runners — one reason it's this season's MGC Series 2026–27 qualifying race (Men's Group 2 / Women's Group 3).
Tickets and how to actually get in
There's no walk-up entry. The only route into the field is the general application window — this year it ran April 17 to June 1, 2026, with winners drawn by lottery and notified July 2, 2026. Selected runners then confirm and pay the ¥18,000 / ¥24,200 fee, and pick up their bib in person at runner reception on November 13 (1–8 p.m.) or 14 (10 a.m.–7 p.m.), 2026 — an original passport is required for identity verification, and entries can't be transferred to someone else. If you've missed this year's window, bookmark global.kobe-marathon.net and watch for the 2027 application dates, which typically open the following spring.
Watching without a bib
You don't need a race number to be part of race day. The course threads through central Kobe and along the bay, so Sannomiya (the start area) and Harborland (the finish) are both easy to reach — Sannomiya is served by JR, Hankyu, Hanshin, and the Kobe Municipal Subway, about a 10-minute walk from City Hall, while Harborland sits right next to JR Kobe Station and the subway's Kaigan Line Harborland Station.
Practical tips
- Trains around Sannomiya get busy from early morning on race day — arrive well before the 9:00 a.m. gun if you're spectating near the start.
- The course closes on a strict 7-hour clock, so runners well off marathon pace should plan checkpoint splits carefully.
- Confirm every date and fee on the official site (global.kobe-marathon.net) before you plan a trip — application windows, results dates, and reception hours are set by the organizer and can shift year to year.
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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
- The start at Kobe City Hall is about a 10-minute walk from JR / Hankyu / Hanshin / Kobe Municipal Subway Sannomiya Station. The Harborland finish is right by JR Kobe Station and the Kobe Municipal Subway Kaigan Line's Harborland Station. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Marathon ¥18,000 (Japan residents) / ¥24,200 (overseas entrants); 2-person relay ¥30,400 (Fees per the official race guidelines, as of September 18, 2026.). Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
温馨提示
General-entry applications for the 2026 race closed on June 1 (they opened April 17) and lottery results went out on July 2, 2026. If you missed it, plan to watch instead: the route runs along Kobe's central streets and waterfront, and both the Sannomiya start area and the Harborland finish are an easy walk from major stations.
常见问题
- When is the Kobe Marathon 2026?
- Sunday, November 15, 2026. Wave 1 starts at 9:00 a.m., wave 2 at 9:15 a.m., and the event closes at 16:00 (official race guidelines).
- What is the course?
- It starts in front of Kobe City Hall, turns around near Akashi's Okura Coast and finishes at Kobe Harborland (Gas-to-dori), on a JAAF and WA/AIMS certified course. The relay uses an unofficial course with a handover point near the Okura Coast east car park (official).
- How large is the field and what does it cost?
- 20,000 marathon runners (18,000 yen for residents of Japan, 24,200 yen for overseas entrants) and 150 relay teams of two, 300 runners in total (30,400 yen). The cap includes hometown-tax, seeded, age-group and other reserved places (official, as of September 18, 2026).
- What is the time limit?
- Seven hours, timed from the first gun. Closing checkpoints are set along the course for traffic, security and race-operation reasons (official).
交通
Start: Kobe City Hall Plaza — Finish: Kobe Harborland (Gas Lamp Street) — 6-5-1 Kano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo (start point, in front of Kobe City Hall)