How to Get Into the Tokyo Marathon
The lottery, ONE TOKYO, charity entry, RUN as ONE and official tour packages, with the dates and fees for each.
Jason Schmitt
The Tokyo Marathon fills most of its field with a lottery each August. For the 2027 race on Sunday, March 7, general entry ran from August 14 to August 28, 2026, and results were posted on September 18 (Marathon Handbook). The field grows to 40,000 runners in 2027, its largest ever (Tokyo Marathon), and the lottery still takes only about one applicant in ten.
The lottery isn’t the only way in. Charity entries, the ONE TOKYO membership program, official tour packages and a semi-elite category each work differently, and most of them open before general entry does. If you want to run in 2028, the order matters more than anything else in this guide.
The general entry lottery
General entry is open to runners in and outside Japan. You have to be 19 or older on race day and able to finish within 6 hours and 30 minutes, and the course closes at 7 hours. The international entry fee for 2027 is $230 including fees and tax, and only selected runners pay it. Baggage check is an extra $12, and there’s an optional $26 Green Mileage donation. Entering more than one category is prohibited, so pick your route before you apply (Tokyo Marathon).
The general draw has two smaller draws inside it. For 2027, 4,000 places were set aside for ONE TOKYO members who had been turned down three years in a row, and 1,000 for Tokyo residents (Tokyo Marathon).
The race doesn’t publish its acceptance rate. Marathon Handbook estimates that around 300,000 people enter for roughly 30,000 lottery places, which works out to close to 10 percent (Marathon Handbook).
ONE TOKYO
ONE TOKYO is the official club of the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, and its members get a head start on entry (ONE TOKYO). Runners outside Japan join as ONE TOKYO GLOBAL members. For 2027, member entry ran from July 31 to August 13, 2026, two weeks before general entry opened, with a drawing if more than 3,000 members applied (Tokyo Marathon). GLOBAL members who are turned down three years in a row, counting from 2025, also get a separate draw from 2028 onward (ONE TOKYO).
Charity
Charity entry is the main way around the lottery. For 2027, there were 5,000 charity places for runners who donated more than the amount set by their chosen charity, and applications ran from June 24 to July 9, 2026. Selection isn’t first come, first served, and some organizations only accept donations or runners from people living in Japan, so check the charity’s rules before you commit (Tokyo Marathon). Charity runners can’t enter any other category in the same year.
RUN as ONE
RUN as ONE is the semi-elite category for runners who live outside Japan, and it takes 25 men and 25 women. The standards are well beyond most recreational runners: under 2:22 for men and 2:50 for women, run at a World Athletics Label road race between July 2024 and June 2026. If more runners apply than there are places, the fastest are accepted, and anyone who isn’t is moved into general entry automatically (Tokyo Marathon).
Tour packages
Only Kinki Nippon Tourist and its partner agencies can sell travel packages that include a Tokyo Marathon entry (Tokyo Marathon). A package bundles a guaranteed entry with travel (Marathon Handbook), so it’s the route for runners who want the trip arranged as well as the bib.
Which route fits you
| If you… | Your route |
|---|---|
| Want a place without a fast time or a donation | The general entry lottery in August |
| Can make a charity donation | Charity entry, with applications in late June |
| Live outside Japan and want the trip arranged | An official package through Kinki Nippon Tourist or a partner agency |
| Plan to keep applying until you get in | ONE TOKYO membership, for the earlier member entry window |
| Run under 2:22 (men) or 2:50 (women) | RUN as ONE semi-elite entry |
The 2027 timeline
June 24 to July 9, 2026: Charity runner applications
July 31 to August 13, 2026: ONE TOKYO member entry and RUN as ONE applications
August 14 to 28, 2026: General entry lottery
September 18, 2026: General entry results
March 7, 2027: Race day, with a 9:10 a.m. start
The Tokyo Marathon page on the Race Calendar tracks these dates, and subscribing puts them on your calendar. No dates have been announced for the 2028 race, but if the pattern holds, charity applications will open in late June 2027 and general entry in mid-August.
Getting ready once you’re in
A typical 18-week plan for March 7 starts at the beginning of November, so most of your training happens through the winter. How to Choose a Marathon Training Plan walks through the main options, the long run guide covers the workout that matters most, and the race week guide covers the last seven days.
Once you’ve picked a goal, the Pace Lab turns it into a pace and a full set of splits, with goal pages from 3:00 to 6:00.
FAQ
When does the Tokyo Marathon lottery open?
General entry for 2027 ran from August 14 to 28, 2026. Charity, ONE TOKYO and RUN as ONE entries all open earlier, between late June and mid-August.
What are the odds of getting into the Tokyo Marathon?
About 10 percent, by Marathon Handbook’s estimate of around 300,000 entries for roughly 30,000 lottery places. The race doesn’t publish an official rate.
Can foreigners run the Tokyo Marathon?
Yes. Overseas runners can enter the general lottery, join ONE TOKYO as GLOBAL members, apply for some charity entries or book an official tour package.
How much does it cost to run the Tokyo Marathon?
The 2027 international entry fee is $230, including fees and tax, plus $12 for baggage check. Charity entries add a donation, and tour packages include travel.
Is there a qualifying time for the Tokyo Marathon?
Not for general entry, but you must be able to finish within 6:30. The RUN as ONE semi-elite category requires under 2:22 for men and 2:50 for women.
What is the Tokyo Marathon time limit?
Seven hours. The race starts at 9:10 a.m., and the course closes at 4:10 p.m.
Written by
Jason Schmitt
Runner and designer in Raleigh, NC. Marathons through the 100K, Backyard Ultras, and a lot of reading what the coaches and the research actually say. Mile Twenty Labs is where it gets written down.
Free training plan
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