Marathons in Kyushu and places to cheer
- Race dates include Fukuoka Marathon November 8, Fukuoka International December 6, Ibusuki January 10, and Kitakyushu and Kumamoto Castle February 21.
From this autumn to next spring, marathons are held across Kyushu. For people who cheer on the roadside as well as for runners, it helps to know when and where the roads are closed and where you can see the runners. This page covers 6 races in Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Saga, with the road-closure times and the places runners pass, race by race. The Fukuoka Marathon (November 8) has already been held.
In short
- Fukuoka International Marathon (December 6): road closures from 12:00 to 15:00 at different points; invitation and qualification only, no general entry.
- Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon (January 10): 9:00 start; closures are lifted after 7 hours (16:00).
- Kitakyushu Marathon and Kumamoto Castle Marathon (both February 21): large-scale closures; the Kumamoto Castle Marathon publishes expected closure times for 5 areas.
- Saga Sakura Marathon (March 21): closure and cheering information was not yet on the official site as of October 19, 2026.
Checked with official pages on October 19, 2026 (Japan time). Schedules and closures may change.
Read next7 pages, swipe sideways
Fukuoka International Marathon 2026: December 6 at 12:10, Road Closure Times and Where to CheerPlay
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Tennis Tournaments in Fukuoka, Autumn 2026 to Spring 2027: Entry Deadlines from November 18, Fees and Dates Through MarchPlay
Marathons in Kyushu 2026–27: 11 Races, and the 3 You Can Still EnterPlay
Fukuoka Tennis Courts and Tournaments: How to Book, Next Entry Nov 2, Squash, HYROXPlay
Saga Sakura Marathon 2027 (March 21): Full, but Transfer Entries Open Until Nov 1Play
Kagoshima Marathon 2027 (March 7): entries closed October 19 (full)Play
1. Fukuoka Marathon 2026 (November 8, already held)
The course ran from Tenjin to the finish at the Itoshima City Exchange Plaza Shima-kan, with road closures planned for Sunday, November 8, 2026 from 6:00 to 16:35. The race has been held, so the cheering and shuttle bus details are not repeated here. You can see the course in the official video below. For details of the 2026 race, see our Fukuoka Marathon 2026 page (Japanese) and the Fukuoka Marathon official road closure page (Japanese).
| Name | Fukuoka Marathon 2026 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 092-711-4422 (Fukuoka Marathon call center, 9:30–17:00, closed weekends and holidays) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
2. Fukuoka International Marathon 2026 (December 6)
The race starts at 12:10 at Heiwadai Athletics Stadium and finishes there. It is an invitation and qualification race with no general entry. The official road closure map shows 21 intersections with closure times. The closure near the start, in front of Gokoku Shrine, is 12:00 to 12:20. Kego in central Fukuoka is 12:50 to 13:30, Hakata Station Front 4-chome and the Hakata Station bus terminal are 13:05 to 13:45, Kashii-sando-guchi at the turnaround is 13:20 to 14:30, and Heiwadai near the finish is 14:00 to 15:00. The race is broadcast live on the 24-station TV Asahi network from 12:00 to 14:26. For details, see our Fukuoka International Marathon 2026 page (Japanese) and the official road closure page (Japanese).
| Name | Fukuoka International Marathon 2026 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 092-643-3997 (Fukuoka International Marathon 2026 office, weekdays 9:00–17:00) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
3. Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 (February 21)
The start is in front of Kitakyushu City Hall (1-1 Jonai, Kokurakita Ward, a 15-minute walk from the Kokura Castle exit, the south exit, of JR Kokura Station, and 10 minutes on foot from the south exit of JR Nishi-Kokura Station, Heiwadori Station on the monorail and Tanga Station). The finish is Kitakyushu Messe (3-8-1 Asano, Kokurakita Ward, a 5-minute walk from the Shinkansen exit, the north exit, of JR Kokura Station). The official site says February 21 is a no-private-car day, with large-scale closures lasting a long time on the course and nearby roads. As of October 19, 2026, the closure times and sections and the times runners pass each point for the 2027 race were not yet on the official traffic control page (Japanese).
Photo source: Kitakyushu Marathon 2026 implementation report (press release of Kitakyushu City, April 22, 2026) (Japanese)
| Name | Kitakyushu Marathon 2027 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 093-531-2515 (weekdays 9:00–17:00) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
4. Kumamoto Castle Marathon 2027 (February 21)
The race starts in central Kumamoto City and finishes at Ninomaru Plaza inside the Kumamoto Castle ruins, a Special Historic Site. The start is at 9:00, and runners in the Kanaguri Memorial Kumanichi 30 km road race who cannot pass the 28.3 km point by 10:58 are taken off the course. Expected closure times for the 2027 race are published for 5 areas: central Kumamoto City, around Kumamoto Castle (start and finish), Heisei-odori to Kumamoto Nishi-ohashi Bridge, Kumamoto Port Line to Akita, and Kawashiri to Tenmei. The same page has congestion forecast maps for about 7:00 to 16:00 on the day and detours (Kumamoto Castle Marathon official traffic information page, Japanese).
| Name | Kumamoto Castle Marathon 2027 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 096-328-2373 (weekdays 9:00–17:00) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
5. Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon 2027 (January 10)
The race starts at 9:00 on Sunday, January 10, 2027, and registration is at the Ibusuki General Gymnasium. According to the official competition rules, closures are lifted after 7 hours (16:00), and after that runners also use the sidewalks. As of October 19, 2026, the closure sections and the times at each point for the 2027 race were not yet on the Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon official site (Japanese).
Photo source: The 44th Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon: entries open from August 1 (press release of the Ibusuki City Tourism Association, August 1, 2026) (Japanese)
| Name | Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon 2027 |
|---|---|
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
6. Saga Sakura Marathon 2027 (March 21)
The race starts at 9:00 on Sunday, March 21, 2027, with the start and finish in Saga City. General entries closed after reaching the limit, and the “Yuzureru” service, which passes on race places, was still accepting applications (as of October 19, 2026). For the schedule and entry fees, see our Saga Sakura Marathon 2027 page (Japanese). As of October 19, 2026, the closure and cheering information was not yet on the official Saga Sakura Marathon site (Japanese).
| Name | Saga Sakura Marathon 2027 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0952-27-0728 (9:30–17:30, closed weekends and holidays) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
7. Related pages
- Marathons in Kyushu: races you can enter now, by closest deadline (Japanese)
- Kumamoto Castle Marathon 2027 (February 21): entries closed, fee and quota (Japanese)
- Kitakyushu Marathon 2027: first-come hometown tax quota, fee, quota and the day-before reception (February 21) (Japanese)
- Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon (January 10): deadline October 18 and the entry fee (Japanese)
Common questions
Which race publishes closure times already?
The Fukuoka International Marathon (12:00 to 15:00, by intersection) and the Kumamoto Castle Marathon (expected times for 5 areas). The Kitakyushu, Ibusuki and Saga races had not published theirs as of October 19, 2026.
Can I enter the Fukuoka International Marathon?
No. It is an invitation and qualification race with no general entry.
Sources
9 pages we checked
- Fukuoka Marathon official road closure page
- official road closure page
- official traffic control page
- Kitakyushu Marathon 2026 implementation report (press release of Kitakyushu City, April 22, 2026)
- Kumamoto Castle Marathon official traffic information page
- Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon official site
- The 44th Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon: entries open from August 1 (press release of the Ibusuki City Tourism Association, August 1, 2026)
- official Saga Sakura Marathon site
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on October 19, 2026 (Japan time).
