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This guide compares nine running events in Hiroshima Prefecture between November 2026 and March 2027 that were still taking entries on October 12, 2026. They are listed by entry deadline, soonest first. The earliest closes on Tuesday, October 20 (Itanabeyama Climbing Marathon, Higashihiroshima City), then Sunday, October 25 (Hiroshima Runsonic, Hiroshima City) and Tuesday, November 3 (Fuchu Machinaka Marathon, Fuchu City).
Not every event is a marathon. Several are relay races, where a team shares the distance, and some have 1 km to 5 km courses for children. Fees run from ¥500 a pair for the parent-and-child pair run in Fuchu to ¥20,000 for the 100 km Tobishima Ultra Maranic.
In short
- Nine events, from Tuesday, November 3, 2026 to Sunday, March 14, 2027. Deadlines run from Tuesday, October 20, 2026 to Tuesday, March 9, 2027.
- Entry goes through RUNNET or e-moshicom, two Japanese entry sites, or the organizer’s own site for Setoda. All the pages are in Japanese.
- Courses with a set number of places can close before the deadline if they fill up.
- Three races use the same venue in Fukuyama (Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba), in December, January and March.
- Driving to Tobishima costs a ¥730 bridge toll for a standard car, and ETC (the electronic toll card) is not accepted.
Checked with official pages on October 12, 2026 (Japan time).
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1. The nine events in one table
Depends on the organizer
Tap an event name to jump to its section. The fee shown is for an adult entry in the main course. Student and children’s fees are in each section.
| Event | Date and place | Courses and fee | Entry deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itanabeyama Climbing Marathon | Nov 22 (Sun) · Higashihiroshima | 5 km, 6.5 km, 10 km / ¥5,000 | Oct 20 (Tue) |
| Hiroshima Runsonic | Nov 3 (Tue, holiday) · Hiroshima City | 10 km, 5 km, 1 mile and more / 10 km ¥4,000 | Oct 25 (Sun) |
| Fuchu Machinaka Marathon | Nov 29 (Sun) · Fuchu | Relay of 4 to 10 people / ¥21,000 per team (general) | Nov 3 (Tue, holiday) |
| Tobishima Ultra Maranic | Dec 13 (Sun) · Kure | 100 km / ¥20,000 | Nov 15 (Sun) |
| Fukuyama Year-End Marathon | Dec 27 (Sun) · Fukuyama | Full, half, 10 km and more / full ¥9,000 | Nov 26 (Thu) |
| Setouchi Relay Marathon in Otake | Dec 20 (Sun) · Otake | Relay, mini relay, family / ¥3,500 per person (relay) | Dec 13 (Sun) |
| Setoda Lemon Marathon | Feb 21, 2027 (Sun) · Onomichi | Half, 9.1 km, kids / half ¥9,000 | Dec 15 (Tue) |
| Fukuyama New Year Marathon | Jan 11, 2027 (Mon, holiday) · Fukuyama | 20 km, 10 km, 3 km and more / 20 km ¥4,000 | Dec 20 (Sun) |
| THE CHALLENGE RACE HIROSHIMA | Jan 23 and Mar 14, 2027 · Fukuyama | Full to 1 mile / full ¥11,000 | Jan 18 (Mon), Mar 9 (Tue) |
2. What to know before you choose
Depends on the organizer
The venues are different in kind, so getting there differs too: riverside grounds in Fukuyama, a loop on an island, and town streets that are closed to traffic. Three Fukuyama events (Year-End Marathon, New Year Marathon and THE CHALLENGE RACE HIROSHIMA) use the same venue, Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba, in late December, January and March.
If you drive, parking works differently at each event. The Runsonic venue doubles as the car park, and Fuchu provides a free temporary car park at Fuchu Gakuen school. At Otake you park in a temporary car park and cannot enter the park by car. For the Tobishima Kaido islands, the Akinada Bridge toll is ¥730 for a standard car, and ETC is not accepted.
The two island races, Tobishima and Setoda, are held where lodging is limited. The Setoda Lemon Marathon site itself asks runners to book early because rooms on the island are few.
How to enter
- Pick a race and a course. Use the table above. Each section below lists the courses and fees.
- Open the entry page linked in that section. The pages are in Japanese. This guide did not check whether the entry sites offer an English screen.
- Enter before the deadline. Where a course has a set number of places, entry can end earlier when the places are full.
3. The nine events, section by section
Depends on the organizer
Dates, fees and times below are from each organizer’s page or entry page. Check the page again before you enter, because details can change.
3.1 Itanabeyama Climbing Marathon: Higashihiroshima City, November 22
This is a climbing race that starts and finishes at Toyosaka Indoor Ball Sports Park and climbs 400 m in elevation to the top of the mountain. The courses are 5 km, 6.5 km and 10 km. Entry closes on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 23:59 on e-moshicom.
The fee is ¥5,000 for the general 5 km (men aged 50 and over, who run in separate 50s, 60s and 70s classes; women aged 19 and over; and firefighters), the 6.5 km (men aged 19 to 49) and the 10 km (high school students and over). Junior high school boys in the 5 km, junior and senior high school girls in the 5 km, and high school boys in the 6.5 km pay ¥2,000. The event is for 100 to 499 runners.
The organizer’s entry page asks runners to apply early, because trouble has happened just before the deadline. e-moshicom page for the Itanabeyama Climbing Marathon (Japanese)
Venue: Toyosaka Indoor Ball Sports Park, 275 Kajiya, Toyosaka-cho, Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima. Reception from 8:00. Google Maps
| Name | Itanabeyama Climbing Marathon |
|---|---|
| Address | 275 Kajiya, Toyosaka-cho, Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima (Toyosaka Indoor Ball Sports Park) |
| Hours / Closed | Sunday, November 22, 2026, Reception from 8:00 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.2 Hiroshima Runsonic: Nishi-ku, Hiroshima City, November 3
The venue is a vacant lot south of the former Nishi Airport in Kannon-shinmachi, and the same lot is the car park. The course is flat and simple. The organizer describes this second edition as the only open road race in Hiroshima City. Entry closes on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 23:59 on e-moshicom.
There are many courses. The general 10 km has a group aiming at 45 minutes or less and a group aiming to finish within 80 minutes; both cost ¥4,000. The Triple Challenge (10 km, 5 km and 1.6 km, all three) is ¥7,000, and the four-leg 10 km ekiden (駅伝, a team relay) is ¥12,000 per team. The general 5 km is ¥3,500 and the general 1 mile is ¥2,500.
For students and children, the 10 km is ¥2,000 (junior and senior high school), the 5 km is ¥1,500 (junior and senior high school), the 1 km is ¥1,500 (elementary school), the family 1 km for preschool to second grade with a parent is ¥2,000, and the 400 m family run is ¥1,000. e-moshicom page for Hiroshima Runsonic (Japanese)
Venue: the vacant lot south of the former Nishi Airport, 4-10 Kannon-shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima. Reception from 8:00. Google Maps
PR · Ad / affiliate link. Rakuten Travel is one of several ways to book a hotel. The site is in Japanese; check the date, room type and price on the final confirmation screen.
Search hotels and inns in Hiroshima on Rakuten Travel (Ad, Japanese)
| Name | Hiroshima Runsonic |
|---|---|
| Address | 4-10 Kannon-shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima (vacant lot south of the former Nishi Airport) |
| Hours / Closed | Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (public holiday), Reception from 8:00 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.3 Fuchu Machinaka Marathon: Fuchu City, November 29
This is mainly a relay marathon around Omatsuri Hiroba (お祭り広場, the Festival Square) in Fuchu, on a loop of about 1 km. It lasts two hours, and a team has 4 to 10 people. There is room for 80 teams. This year it also has a parent-and-child pair run and the Wonder Walk Bingo-Fuchu (about 5.5 km and 3 km), and a gourmet festival is held on the same day. Relay and pair-run entries close on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 23:59 on RUNNET.
Relay fees are per team: ¥21,000 for the general division and the workplace division, ¥11,000 for the junior mix division, ¥5,000 for the junior high school division and ¥3,000 for the elementary school and under division. The parent-and-child pair run is ¥500 per pair. The Wonder Walk is ¥1,500 for high school students and over and ¥500 for junior high school students and under, and walk entries also close on November 3 at 23:59, on e-moshicom.
The free car park at Fuchu Gakuen school opens at 8:00 and needs no parking permit. An online marathon that you can run from anywhere in Japan is also held from November 15 to 29. Fuchu Machinaka Marathon official site (Japanese)
Venue: Omatsuri Hiroba, Motomachi, Fuchu City, Hiroshima. Reception from 8:00, relay 9:40 to 11:40. Google Maps
| Name | Fuchu Machinaka Marathon |
|---|---|
| Address | Motomachi, Fuchu City, Hiroshima (Omatsuri Hiroba) |
| Hours / Closed | Sunday, November 29, 2026, Reception from 8:00, relay 9:40–11:40 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.4 Tobishima Ultra Maranic: Kure City, December 13
This 100 km race starts and finishes at Kenmin-no-hama on Kamikamagari Island, and runs through the Tobishima Kaido, seven islands joined by seven bridges. It is for ages 18 and over, with a 16-hour time limit and 500 places. The start is at 5:00. Entry closes on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 23:59 on RUNNET.
The regular entry is ¥20,000. A furusato nozei (ふるさと納税, hometown tax donation) entry is ¥72,000, and the eve-of-race party is ¥5,000. Part of the fee goes to buying play equipment such as water toys for two nurseries on the Tobishima Kaido. Reception is on the day before, Saturday, December 12 from 14:00 to 17:30, and on the day from 3:30 to 4:30.
If you drive, the Akinada Bridge toll is ¥730 for a standard car, and neither ETC nor credit cards are accepted. The return bridge ticket is handed over at reception, so you collect a receipt at the toll booth. It takes about 80 minutes by car from central Hiroshima.
Because reception is on the day before, staying nearby the night before is the safer plan. The hotel link below is for the Kure and Etajima area.
Venue: Kenmin-no-hama, 7605 Kamagari-cho Oura, Kure City, Hiroshima. Google Maps
PR · Ad / affiliate link. Rakuten Travel is one of several ways to book a hotel. The site is in Japanese; check the date, room type and price on the final confirmation screen.
Search hotels and inns in Kure and Etajima on Rakuten Travel (Ad, Japanese)
| Name | Tobishima Ultra Maranic |
|---|---|
| Address | 7605 Kamagari-cho Oura, Kure City, Hiroshima (Kenmin-no-hama) |
| Hours / Closed | Sunday, December 13, 2026, start 5:00; day-before reception December 12, 14:00–17:30 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.5 Fukuyama Year-End Marathon: Fukuyama City, December 27
This is a year-end race starting and finishing at Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba. The full marathon has a 6-hour time limit and 800 places, and starts at 8:30. Entry closes on Thursday, November 26, 2026 at 23:59 on RUNNET.
Fees: full marathon ¥9,000; full-marathon ekiden (a five-person team relay) ¥22,000 per team; half marathon ¥7,000 (general) or ¥4,500 (high school students). The 10 km is ¥4,500 (general) or ¥3,500 (junior and senior high school), the 3 km is ¥3,000 (general) or ¥2,500 (junior and senior high school and elementary grades 3 to 6), the 1 km is ¥2,000 (elementary grades 1 and 2), and the family 1 km for a parent and a child up to grade 1 is ¥3,000. Places: 600 for the half, 50 teams for the ekiden, 200 for the 10 km, and 100 each for the 3 km and 1 km.
The participation prize for finishers is toshikoshi soba (年越しそば, year-end buckwheat noodles), a sports drink and arajiru (あら汁, fish soup). A direct bus ticket from Fukuyama Station to the venue and use of the venue car park are paid options chosen when you enter. After you enter, you cannot change courses or cancel, and the fee is in principle not refunded even if the race is cancelled. Fukuyama Year-End Marathon official site (Japanese)
Venue: Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima (the organizer and RUNNET give different street addresses, so none is shown). Reception from 7:00. Google Maps
| Name | Fukuyama Year-End Marathon |
|---|---|
| Address | Fukuyama City, Hiroshima (Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba) |
| Hours / Closed | Sunday, December 27, 2026, Reception from 7:00, full and half marathon start 8:30 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.6 Setouchi Relay Marathon in Otake: Otake City, December 20
This is the fourth relay marathon at Harumi Rinkai Park in Otake, on a loop of about 1.2 km. The 42.195 km relay is for teams of 4 to 15 people, with a 4-hour time limit. Entry has two rounds: the first closes on Sunday, November 22 and the second on Sunday, December 13, 2026, on RUNNET. Second-round entries get no participation prize, and the bib is issued as an emergency bib (緊急対応).
Fees: the 42.195 km relay is ¥3,500 per person (¥1,700 for high school students and under); the mini relay of about 12 km is ¥2,200 per person (¥1,300 for high school students and under); the family pair marathon is ¥1,200 per pair; and the family relay of about 3.6 km is ¥1,300 per person (¥1,000 for high school students and under).
If you drive, use the temporary car parks set up around the park. You cannot park inside the park. Setouchi Relay Marathon in Otake official site (Japanese)
Venue: Harumi Rinkai Park, 2-11 Harumi, Otake City, Hiroshima. Reception from 8:20, relay start 10:45. Google Maps
| Name | Setouchi Relay Marathon in Otake |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-11 Harumi, Otake City, Hiroshima (Harumi Rinkai Park) |
| Hours / Closed | Sunday, December 20, 2026, Reception from 8:20, relay start 10:45 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.7 Setoda Lemon Marathon: Onomichi City, February 21, 2027
This half marathon is held on Ikuchijima Island (Setoda-cho, Onomichi City) on the Shimanami Kaido. The venue, Setoda Civic Hall, is a 10-minute walk from Setoda Port and a 10-minute drive from Kita-Ikuchi IC. The courses are the half marathon (1,000 places), the 9.1 km Seaside Run (400) and the Kids Run (100 pairs each for upper and lower grades), 1,600 in total. Entry closes on Tuesday, December 15, 2026 and is taken online.
The half marathon is ¥9,000 (general), ¥7,500 (Onomichi City residents) and ¥4,000 (high school students who live in or attend school in Onomichi). The Seaside Run is ¥5,500 (general) and ¥3,000 (junior high school students who live in or attend school in Onomichi). The Kids Run is ¥1,000 per pair. In the half and the Seaside Run you run carrying your own bottle or cup. Reception is on the day before, Saturday, February 20 from 12:00 to 17:00, and on the day from 8:00 to 10:00. The half marathon starts at 11:00.
Rooms on the island are limited, so another option is to stay on the Onomichi side or the Mihara side. Setoda Lemon Marathon: event outline (Japanese)
Venue: Setoda Civic Hall, Setoda-cho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima. Google Maps · Organizer phone: 0845-25-6111
PR · Ad / affiliate link. Rakuten Travel is one of several ways to book a hotel. The site is in Japanese; check the date, room type and price on the final confirmation screen.
| Name | Setoda Lemon Marathon |
|---|---|
| Address | Setoda-cho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima (Setoda Civic Hall) |
| Hours / Closed | Sunday, February 21, 2027, half marathon start 11:00, on-site reception 8:00–10:00 (day before 12:00–17:00) |
| Phone | 0845-25-6111 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.8 Fukuyama New Year Marathon: Fukuyama City, January 11, 2027
This is the third New Year race at Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba in Fukuyama. The longest course is 20 km, a shorter race to open the year. Entry closes on Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 23:59 on e-moshicom.
Fees: 20 km ¥4,000 (general); 20 km four-leg ekiden ¥12,000 per team; 10 km ¥3,500 (general) or ¥2,500 (high school students). The 3 km is ¥2,500 (general) or ¥1,500 (elementary grade 3 to high school), the 2 km is ¥1,500 (elementary grades 1 and 2), and the family 1 km (a preschool child with a parent) is ¥1,500. e-moshicom page for the Fukuyama New Year Marathon (Japanese)
Venue: Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima (street address not shown; see section 3.5). Google Maps
| Name | Fukuyama New Year Marathon |
|---|---|
| Address | Fukuyama City, Hiroshima (Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba) |
| Hours / Closed | Monday, January 11, 2027 (public holiday) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
3.9 THE CHALLENGE RACE HIROSHIMA: Fukuyama City, January 23 and March 14, 2027
This is a series held at Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba in Fukuyama, with pace groups led by pacers. Race 1 is on Saturday, January 23, 2027 and race 2 on Sunday, March 14. The courses are the full marathon, 30 km, half, 10 km, 5 km and 1 mile, with groups for each target time. Entry closes on Monday, January 18 for race 1 and on Tuesday, March 9, 2027 at 23:59 for race 2, on e-moshicom.
The fees are the same for both races: full marathon ¥11,000, 30 km and half ¥7,700, 10 km ¥5,500, and 5 km and 1 mile ¥3,300. Race 1 also has places for R.LEAGUE registrants (half ¥7,000 and 5 km ¥3,000). The organizer is RDC RUN CLUB. Reception is from 8:00. e-moshicom page for race 1 (Japanese) / e-moshicom page for race 2 (Japanese)
Venue: Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima (street address not shown; see section 3.5). Google Maps
| Name | THE CHALLENGE RACE HIROSHIMA |
|---|---|
| Address | Fukuyama City, Hiroshima (Ashida River Kawamachi Hiroba) |
| Hours / Closed | Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, March 14, 2027, Reception from 8:00 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
4. How to choose
Depends on the organizer
If this is your first race, look for an event with courses of several lengths. Hiroshima Runsonic offers 1 km to 10 km, and the Fukuyama New Year Marathon offers 1 km to 20 km. For the full marathon, the Fukuyama Year-End Marathon is ¥9,000, which is ¥2,000 less than THE CHALLENGE RACE HIROSHIMA at ¥11,000.
If you are going with friends or colleagues, the Fuchu Machinaka Marathon (¥21,000 per team of 4 to 10, so ¥5,250 to ¥2,100 each if split equally) and the Setouchi Relay Marathon in Otake (¥3,500 per person) are relay formats. If you are aiming at 100 km, note that the Tobishima Ultra Maranic closes on November 15, earlier than most of the others.
Common questions
Can entry close before the deadline?
Yes. At events where each course has a set number of places, such as the Fukuyama Year-End Marathon, entry can close early when the places are full. Enter early.
Can I change my course or cancel after I enter?
The Fukuyama Year-End Marathon says it does not accept course changes, cancellations or refunds after entry. For the other events, read the rules on each entry page before you enter.
Sources (checked October 2026)
11 pages we checked
- RUNNET: race search for Hiroshima Prefecture (Japanese), used to find races and compare deadlines
- Itanabeyama Climbing Marathon on e-moshicom (Japanese)
- Hiroshima Runsonic on e-moshicom (Japanese)
- Fuchu Machinaka Marathon official site (Japanese)
- Tobishima Ultra Maranic: race information, access (Japanese)
- Fukuyama Year-End Marathon official site (Japanese)
- Setouchi Relay Marathon in Otake official site (Japanese)
- Setoda Lemon Marathon: outline, access (Japanese)
- Fukuyama New Year Marathon on e-moshicom (Japanese)
- THE CHALLENGE RACE HIROSHIMA race 1, race 2 on e-moshicom (Japanese)
- Embedded videos and posts: official YouTube channels of the Tobishima Ultra Maranic, the Setoda Lemon Marathon and RDC; official Instagram accounts of the Fuchu Machinaka Marathon, the Fukuyama Year-End Marathon, the Setouchi Relay Marathon in Otake and On Your Mark Inc. (Runsonic); one unofficial YouTube video by BBR (Itanabeyama)
Dates, fees and reception times can change. Check the organizer’s page before you enter.
