Best Marathons in Asia to Run in 2026

Planning a marathon in Asia? From Tokyo's World Major to emerging gems in Southeast Asia, compare courses, entry methods, and travel tips.

Picking a marathon in Asia means juggling three moving parts at once: whether you can actually get a bib, when the race fits your calendar, and how hard the course and weather will hit you. The continent's headline event, the Tokyo Marathon, draws over 300,000 lottery applicants for roughly 38,000 places, so a great race plan can collapse on a single unlucky draw. This list cuts through that by ranking 10 of the best marathons across Japan, China, and South Korea using the data you actually need to decide: time limits running from a strict 3.5 hours at Beppu-Oita up to a generous 7 hours at Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kobe, and certified elevation gain from just 21 metres at Osaka to a hillier 130 metres through Kyoto's temple district.

The table below ranks every pick by the numbers in our database, so you can match a race to your reality rather than its reputation. Chasing a personal best on a flat, cool course? Osaka (21 m) and Seoul (93 m, near-flat) reward even splits. Want a guaranteed start without a lottery? Seoul runs first-come, first-served, while Beppu-Oita is open to anyone who has already run a sub-3:30 marathon. Need a summer race? Hokkaido in late August is Japan's only full-scale summer marathon. Set your goal pace with our Pace Calculator, then pressure-test the weather risk for each date with the Weather Score tool.

How We Selected These Marathons

  • Documented finish-time limit, ranging from a strict 3.5 hours at Beppu-Oita up to a generous 7 hours at Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kobe
  • Certified elevation gain in our database, from just 21 metres at Osaka up to 130 metres on Kyoto's temple-district course
  • Entry path you can realistically secure: lottery (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Beijing, Shanghai), first-come first-served (Seoul), or qualifying-time entry (Beppu-Oita, sub-3:30)
  • Race month that fits your season, spread across February, March, August, October, November, and December
  • Boston-qualifying eligible certified course, confirmed for all 10 picks in this list
  • Race-day average temperature on file, from a cold 6 degrees Celsius at several spring races to 22 degrees Celsius at summer Hokkaido

Our Top Picks

# Race DateField SizeElevationCutoffBQ Course
1 Tokyo Marathon March 7, 202738,50045 m7hYes
2 Osaka Marathon February 28, 202731,97021 m7hYes
3 Shanghai Marathon December 6, 202623,00025 m6.5hYes
4 Beijing Marathon October 25, 202632,00055 m6hYes
5 Seoul Marathon March 15, 202620,00093 m5hYes
6 Nagoya Women's Marathon March 14, 202720,00040 m7hYes
7 Kobe Marathon November 15, 202620,00055 m7hYes
8 Hokkaido Marathon August 30, 202620,00080 m6hYes
9 Kyoto Marathon February 21, 202716,000130 m6hYes
10 Beppu-Oita Marathon February 7, 2027—30 m3.5hYes

Built from official course data for 349 races · as of July 6, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best marathon in Asia?

The Tokyo Marathon is the standout, the only Abbott World Marathon Major on this list, with a flat 45 m course, a generous 7-hour limit, and 2 million spectators. The catch is access: over 300,000 runners chase about 38,000 places, so single-attempt lottery odds sit near 10 percent. If you cannot wait on the draw, Osaka offers a similar big-city experience with the flattest profile here (21 m), and Seoul guarantees entry first-come, first-served. The right answer depends on whether you value the Major prestige or a confirmed start.

Which Asian marathon is easiest to get into?

Seoul is the most reliable: it uses no lottery and sells its 20,000 marathon bibs first-come, first-served, though you must show a recent sub-5:00 marathon, sub-2:12 half, or sub-1:00 10K certificate. Beppu-Oita guarantees a place to anyone holding a sub-3:30 certified marathon time (its Category 4). By contrast, lottery races like Tokyo, Shanghai (11.2 percent in 2024), and Beijing (16 percent in 2024) can take several years of applications to crack.

Which Asian marathon is flattest and fastest for a PB?

Osaka tops the list for speed with just 21 metres of certified climb on a late-February course averaging 6 degrees Celsius. Seoul (93 m, described as near-flat) is built for record-chasers and requires a qualifying certificate. Shanghai (25 m) is China's first World Athletics Platinum Label race and a fast December option. Lock in your target splits with our Pace Calculator and sanity-check the goal against recent races using the Finish Time Calculator.

When is the best time to run a marathon in Asia?

This list spans February through December. The coolest, fastest window is late winter and early spring: Beppu-Oita (February), Osaka (February), Kyoto (February), Tokyo (March), Nagoya (March), and Seoul (March) all average 6 to 8 degrees Celsius. Autumn delivers Beijing (October), Kobe (November), and Shanghai (December). The outlier is Hokkaido in late August, Japan's only full-scale summer marathon, where race-day temperatures average 22 degrees Celsius.

Are Chinese marathons open to international runners?

Yes. Shanghai and Beijing both accept overseas entries with English registration and lottery selection, and both are certified Boston-qualifying courses. Shanghai is China's first World Athletics Platinum Label marathon and an Abbott candidate race under evaluation. Note that China requires a tourist visa for most nationalities, so apply at least four weeks ahead. Lottery odds are tight, around 11 percent at Shanghai and 16 percent in 2024 at Beijing.

Is there a women-only or summer marathon option in Asia?

Yes to both. Nagoya Women's Marathon in March is the world's largest women-only marathon, recognised by Guinness World Records, with a flat 40 m course, a 7-hour limit, and a Baccarat crystal tumbler for every finisher (the famous Tiffany pendant was retired after the 2024 edition); entry is by lottery. For summer racing, Hokkaido in late August is Japan's only full-scale summer marathon, run in Sapporo with a 5.5-hour limit and the warmest conditions here at 22 degrees Celsius, so heat acclimation matters.

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