World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon

The World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon is an annual road marathon held in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, that starts and finishes beside Himeji Castle, the UNESCO World Heritage Site whose white keep emerged from a five-year restoration in 2015, the year this race began. The 42.195 km course, certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, starts on Otemae-dori in front of the castle, runs north past Himeji Station and along the Yumesaki River, turns around near Shiota in Yumesaki-cho, and returns south to finish at Himeji Castle's Sannomaru Plaza. Total elevation gain is only about 70 meters, with a gentle uphill first half and a gentle downhill second half, making it a fast, spectator-friendly race with the castle in view at both the start and the finish. The marathon is capped at 9,000 runners, costs 13,000 yen to enter and carries a six-hour time limit, and race day also includes shorter Fun Run categories of 1 km, 1.5 km, 2 km, and 5 km for families and students. The most recent edition ran on February 22, 2026, the same day as the Osaka Marathon. The 2027 edition is suspended: the municipal Otemae underground parking garage that serves as the runners' baggage drop and changing area, and the Aimesse Hall used as the race operations base, both go into renovation over the period the race would be held. In place of the marathon, the Himeji City track and field association will hold a smaller substitute event around the castle's Sannomaru Plaza in February 2027, a decision the organising committee reached in May 2026. The city intends to bring the marathon back in 2028 if the renovation finishes on schedule, but no date for the next marathon edition has been announced.