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Marathons in Kyushu 2026–27: 11 Races, and the 3 You Can Still Enter

Checked against official sources on October 26, 2026 (sources below)

Entry deadlines for 11 marathons in Kyushu

  • Kagoshima Marathon 2027 filled on October 19, and the Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon closed on October 18.

This guide lists 11 running races in Kyushu between November 2026 and March 2027, with their entry status on October 26, 2026. Only 3 still take entries: the Saga Sakura Marathon by transfer until Sunday, November 1, first-come places at the Kitakyushu Marathon until Friday, November 6, and Category 1 for men at the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon until Monday, December 7. Entries for the Karatsu 10-Mile Road Race open in mid-November.

Most of these races take entries through RUNNET, a Japanese entry site. You need a free RUNNET account, and the pages are in Japanese.

In short

  • Missed the lottery for a big race? Try a Saga Sakura transfer (by November 1) or a first-come Kitakyushu place (by November 6).
  • Have a fast official marathon time? The Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon (February 7, 2027) is a time-qualified race.
  • Coming next: the Karatsu 10-Mile Road Race (February 14, 2027), with entries from mid-November.
  • Kagoshima, Ibusuki, Kumamoto Castle, Fukuoka, Nagasaki Bayside and Aoshima are closed. You can still go and watch.

Checked with official pages on October 26, 2026 (Japan time).

Read next7 pages, swipe sideways

  1. Fukuoka International Marathon 2026: December 6 at 12:10, Road Closure Times and Where to CheerPlay
  2. Marathons in Kyushu: Where to Cheer and Road Closure Times for 6 Races (2026–27)Play
  3. Golf Union of Kyushu 2027 Schedule: Senior Qualifiers, Super Senior Age Limits and Entry DeadlinesPlay
  4. Tennis Tournaments in Fukuoka, Autumn 2026 to Spring 2027: Entry Deadlines from November 18, Fees and Dates Through MarchPlay
  5. Fukuoka Tennis Courts and Tournaments: How to Book, Next Entry Nov 2, Squash, HYROXPlay
  6. Saga Sakura Marathon 2027 (March 21): Full, but Transfer Entries Open Until Nov 1Play
  7. Kagoshima Marathon 2027 (March 7): entries closed October 19 (full)Play

Kyushu marathons 2026–27: race days and entry status

Races still taking entries come first, then the one opening soon, then closed races by race day.

RacePrefectureRace dayEntries (Oct 26)
Saga SakuraSagaMar 21, 2027Transfer only, to Nov 1
KitakyushuFukuokaFeb 21, 2027First-come places, to Nov 6
Beppu-OitaOitaFeb 7, 2027Category 1 men to Dec 7
Karatsu 10-MileSagaFeb 14, 2027Opens mid-November
Fukuoka MarathonFukuokaNov 8, 2026Closed
Nagasaki BaysideNagasakiNov 15, 2026Closed
Fukuoka InternationalFukuokaDec 6, 2026Elite only, closed
Aoshima TaiheiyoMiyazakiDec 13, 2026Closed
Ibusuki NanohanaKagoshimaJan 10, 2027Closed
Kumamoto CastleKumamotoFeb 21, 2027Closed (lottery)
KagoshimaKagoshimaMar 7, 2027Closed (full)

1. Which Kyushu marathons can I still enter?

Depends on the organizer

1.1 Saga Sakura Marathon 2027: transfer entries until November 1

The Saga Sakura Marathon 2027 is on Sunday, March 21, 2027, in Saga City and Kanzaki City. General entries for the marathon and the fun run opened on October 1 and filled on October 2, according to the organizer.

You can still apply through Yuzureru, a RUNNET service that passes on places from entrants who cannot run, until Sunday, November 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. You only get a place if someone gives one up, so a request does not always lead to a place. The marathon fee is ¥14,500 and the fun run ¥6,000. The hometown tax donation (ふるさと納税, furusato nozei) places are not part of Yuzureru. For the course and race-day details, see our Saga Sakura Marathon 2027 guide.

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1.2 Kitakyushu Marathon 2027: first-come places until November 6

The Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 is on Sunday, February 21, 2027. The lottery closed on September 24. First-come places stay open until Friday, November 6, 2026, 8:00 p.m., until they fill.

The sports promotion runner places are tied to a donation to Kitakyushu City through the hometown tax system. You pay the ¥10,000 entry fee plus a ¥30,000 donation, or ¥50,000 if you live outside Kitakyushu and choose that option. There are 700 marathon places and 100 places in the 20.7 km race. The normal marathon fee for entrants in Japan is ¥15,500.

The overseas runner places (100) are only for people who live outside Japan. They enter through RUNNET Global, and the fee is ¥20,000. A volunteer place also exists: a group of 10 or more that volunteers on race day gets 1 running place per 10 volunteers, and the volunteers themselves cannot run. Details are on the Kitakyushu Marathon outline page (Japanese).

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1.3 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon 2027: for runners with a qualifying time

The 75th Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon is on Sunday, February 7, 2027. It is a time-qualified race: you need an official time on a course certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) or AIMS, set from January 1, 2025.

Men’s Category 1 (for example, a marathon in 2:30:00 or faster) stays open until Monday, December 7, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Categories 1 to 3 are only for runners registered with JAAF. Categories 2 to 4 (marathon times from 2:55:00 to 3:30:00) closed on September 10.

A second round for Categories 2 to 4 runs from Wednesday, November 4, 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, November 10, 5:00 p.m. It is only for runners who set a new qualifying time at a race held between August 28 and November 3, 2026, and has 50 first-come places. The fee is ¥18,000 for all categories, and entry is through RUNNET only. See the race outline (Japanese).

NameKitakyushu Marathon 2027
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameSaga Sakura Marathon 2027
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameBeppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon 2027
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗

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2. Opening soon: Karatsu 10-Mile Road Race

The 67th Karatsu 10-Mile Road Race is on Sunday, February 14, 2027. It starts and finishes at the Karatsu City athletics stadium, and the course runs through the Niji-no-Matsubara pine forest. Races include 10 miles, a 10 km women’s race and a 5 km general race. Karatsu City says entries will open around mid-November 2026. See Karatsu City’s race page (Japanese).

NameKaratsu 10-Mile Road Race
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗

3. Races with entries closed (you can still watch)

The Fukuoka Marathon 2026 is on Sunday, November 8, 2026. Entries closed earlier in the year.

Fukuoka Marathon course video (Fukuoka Marathon official channel)

The Nagasaki Bayside Marathon 2026 (a half marathon, 10 km and 1.9 km) is on Sunday, November 15, 2026. Its entry period, extended to September 23, has ended.

The Fukuoka International Marathon 2026 on Sunday, December 6 is for invited runners and runners with a qualifying time. Its entries closed on September 11.

The Aoshima Taiheiyo Marathon 2026 in Miyazaki is on Sunday, December 13, 2026. Entries ran June 17–30.

The Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon 2027 is on Sunday, January 10, 2027. The full marathon closed on Sunday, October 18. See our Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon 2027 guide.

The Kumamoto Castle Marathon 2027 is on Sunday, February 21, 2027. Its lottery closed on September 24. If you won a place, pay the fee by Thursday, October 29, 2026, 11:59 p.m.

The Kagoshima Marathon 2027 is on Sunday, March 7, 2027. First-come entries were due to run until October 31, but the race filled on Monday, October 19. See our Kagoshima Marathon 2027 guide.

NameFukuoka Marathon 2026
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameKumamoto Castle Marathon 2027
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameKagoshima Marathon 2027
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameNagasaki Bayside Marathon 2026
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameAoshima Taiheiyo Marathon 2026
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameIbusuki Nanohana Marathon 2027
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗
NameFukuoka International Marathon 2026
MapOpen in Google Maps ↗

4. Common questions

Can I enter the Kitakyushu Marathon from outside Japan?

Yes. The overseas runner places (100, first-come) are for people who live outside Japan. They apply through RUNNET Global, and the fee is ¥20,000.

Does a Yuzureru request for Saga Sakura always get me a place?

No. The organizer says a place only passes to you if someone gives one up, so a request does not always succeed.

Can anyone enter the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon?

No. You need an official qualifying time. Only Category 4 (a marathon in 3:30:00 or faster) is open to runners who are not registered with JAAF.

Sources (checked October 2026)

6 pages we checked

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