Nara Marathon

The Nara Marathon is an AIMS-certified marathon held each December in Nara, the ancient former capital of Japan and now a UNESCO World Heritage city. The race starts and finishes at Rohto Field Nara (Konoike Athletics Stadium) and winds through Nara Park, home to more than 1,400 free-roaming sacred deer, passing near the historic Todai-ji Temple and other UNESCO World Heritage sites along the way. The course is notably hilly for a city marathon, with a total elevation gain of roughly 365 meters (1,200 feet) and demanding climbs around the 16-19 km and 29-31 km marks, plus a final ascent near the 41 km point. Race weekend also includes a Mini Nara Marathon on the Saturday, plus a World Heritage 10K and a Pair Relay Marathon held alongside the full marathon on Sunday. The marathon has an 11,750-runner capacity, a 6-hour time limit with eight intermediate cut-off points, and finishers receive a medal, towel, and time certificate. Entry is open to runners who will be 18 or older on race day, with an additional allowance for international entrants living outside Japan.