TOKYO MARATHON – Sunday, February 28, 2016

Unlike the other five marathons in the World Marathon Majors, the Tokyo Marathon started as a massive race from its first year. Over 25,000 runners finished the Tokyo Marathon in its inaugural year of 2007.

Five years later, in 2012, nearly 36,000 runners started the race which travels through the main tourist attractions of Tokyo.

Historically, Japan is known for its elite marathon races with very strict qualifying standards. Many mass races are also held throughout the nation. But they are, in most part, separate races that cater to different types of runners. At the present time, no other mass marathon in Japan, with the exception of the Tokyo Marathon, has an extensive elite field, and no other elite marathon has such a huge participatory field like the Tokyo Marathon.

Thus, the Tokyo Marathon is a very unique marathon in Japan; it is the only marathon in Japan that matches both the elite field depth and mass participation base of the other major marathons in the world.

The Tokyo Marathon is also unique in one other respect. Through its theme, "The Day We Unite," the Tokyo Marathon unites runners, volunteers (TEAM SMILE), and spectators on race day. In 2011, the Tokyo Marathon inaugurated the "Tokyo Marathon Charity Program" named "Tsunagu."

Donations go to respective charitable activities according to the concept of "Tsunagu," building connection. Many runners wish to run the Tokyo Marathon. Applications for the 2014 Tokyo Marathon, which closed on August 31, 2013, drew over 300,000 applicants.

Through the lottery, only a fraction of applicants received a bib number to run the scenic course from Tokyo Metropolitan Office building to the Tokyo Big Sight.

Visit tokyo42195.org/2015/ for more information.

Recent Participation:

Course Records:

2:05:42 (Dickson Chumba, KEN, 2014)
2:22:23 (Tirfi Tsegaye, ETH, 2014)

Source: World Marathon Majors