2026 Naha Marathon - Dec 6

2026 Naha Marathon - Dec 6 Countdown

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Race Information

Race2026 Naha Marathon - Dec 6
CityNaha
Date2026-12-06 at 09:00
Field Size~30,000 runners
Time Limit6 hours 15 min
Cutoff pace8:53/km
TimezoneAsia/Tokyo
Official SiteNAHA Marathon Association (NAHAマラソン協会)
RegistrationRegister · 11000 JPY

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Race Day Weather

Average Temperature21.7°C / 71°F
Humidity74%
Wind33.2 km/h
Rain Chance44%
Typical ConditionsMild and subtropical for a December marathon: highs near 21C (70F) with strong sun, moderate humidity and a brisk sea breeze off the East China Sea.

What to Prepare: Treat this like a warm-weather race, not a winter one. Start in a singlet, carry electrolytes, and use the early-morning cool before the midday sun builds over the southern Okinawa hills.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 33.2 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

Cooler Typical Warmer
Temperature 19.4°C 21.7°C 23.8°C
Dew point 13.7°C 16.6°C 20.3°C
Wet-day chance: 44% Runnability: 59/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course TypeLoop through southern Okinawa
Elevation Gain180m
TerrainRoad
ProfileRolling, with several genuine climbs through the southern hills toward the Peace Memorial Park turn before the return to Naha
Boston QualifierYes — Check your BQ time

Course Analysis

A December Race Where the Enemy Is the Sun

The 40th NAHA Marathon (Dec 6, 2026, 9:00 start) is the rare December marathon where the enemy is the sun, not the cold. This is a subtropical race: early-December Naha runs 20-25C, spiking toward 28C in a hot year, with strong overhead light and humidity from the mid-60s up, and that single fact rewrites everything. The course is JAAF-certified and technically Boston-eligible, but the heat makes it one of the worst venues in Japan to chase a time. Treat a benign-looking "21C December" forecast as a lie and race it like a summer event.

The proof is in the finish rate, which tracks the weather almost perfectly: it swings into the 50s-60s% in hot years and only the low 70s% even when December stays cool, far below the ~97% norm for a big Japanese marathon. Run your goal pace here and the climbs plus the sun will collect the tax later.

Front-Loaded Climb to the Peace Park Summit

From Onoyama Park the loop touches central Naha and International Street in the first 5km, then commits south early through Haebaru and Yaese. Do not be fooled by the flat opening: the profile is uphill-biased in the first half. The big sustained climb starts just after 8km and grinds to the high point at the Peace Memorial Park turnaround near 21km, the southernmost point and an Okinawa WWII memorial worth a respectful breath before you turn for home.

This is also where the cutoff bites: the first formal gate sits at 21.3km, closing 12:15. Slower runners who pushed the gentle-but-endless grade arrive already overheated, with the sun still building. Bank nothing on this front half. Run it deliberately below goal effort, take ice and pour water on your skin at every station rather than gulping, and let a negative-split plan hold you back.

The Descent, the Aid, and the Demon Hill

The course descends after the 21km summit, which sounds like relief but is where the field quietly comes apart. Legs cooked by the southern climb and the accumulated heat slide toward 9-10 min/km, and the second formal gate at 34.3km (closing 14:10) starts to squeeze anyone who over-spent early. The famous private aid stations are densest after 30km, and that is both the gift and the trap.

Then comes the sting: the Oroku Bypass climb around 37km, nicknamed the "demon hill," a deceptively small shadeless rise that wrecks heat-drained legs in the final 5km near Akamine. There is no big wall here, just a cruel little hill at the worst possible moment. One last rule that traps the unwary: reaching Onoyama is not finishing. You must be inside the stadium gate by 15:15 to make the 6h15m overall cutoff.

Survive the Heat, Feast at the Festival

Strategy here is heat management first and pace second. The honest framing: this is a festival you survive, branded the "Festival of Sun, Sea and Joggers." The private aid is the soul of the race and the reason runners come back: locals line all 42km with brown sugar, sata andagi, ice, Okinawa soba, sugarcane juice, even awamori. The risk is over-fuelling, not running dry, so graze for cooling and salt, skip the spirits, and keep moving. Check the day with the weather score and dress for sun with what to wear.

One practical note on entry: it is first-come, not a lottery, opening July 1 at 9:00 for the 30,000 field, so register the moment sign-ups open. The course is certified, so a qualifying run does count toward Boston, but pace this one for the finish and the food, not a PB.

Prepare for 2026 Naha Marathon - Dec 6

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2026 Naha Marathon and what time does it start?

The 40th Naha Marathon is held on Sunday, December 6, 2026, with a 9:00 AM gun start from Onoyama Park (Onoyama Sogo Undo Koen) in Naha, Okinawa. The race is run on the first Sunday of December each year.

How do I enter the Naha Marathon, and is it a lottery?

Unlike most large Japanese marathons, Naha uses first-come, first-served (sakichaku-jun) entry rather than a lottery, so there is no random draw to clear. The field is capped at 30,000 full-marathon runners and popular years fill fast, so register the moment general entry opens on the official site (around July 1). The general entry fee is about 11,000 yen, with reduced fees for runners aged 65+ and high-schoolers.

Do I need a visa or an ESTA-style permit to run in Japan?

For a short tourist trip, many nationalities (US, UK, EU, Australia and others) can enter Japan visa-free; confirm your own nationality's requirement before booking. Japan does NOT currently operate an ESTA or eTA system, so there is no online travel authorization to apply for. Bring your passport and a return ticket.

Is the Naha Marathon course flat or hilly?

It is not a flat course. After leaving Naha the route rolls south through Tomigusuku and Itoman with several real climbs toward the Peace Memorial Park turnaround before heading back to Onoyama Park. Pace conservatively early and save effort for the climbs; you can sketch your splits with our pace calculator and study the climbs on the elevation profile tool.

What is the time limit for the Naha Marathon?

The overall cutoff is 6 hours 15 minutes, with several intermediate checkpoint gates (kanmon) you must clear along the way. That is a generous limit, but the warm sun and rolling hills make Naha tougher than the number suggests, so build a realistic finish plan with our finish time calculator.

Can a Naha Marathon time qualify me for Boston?

Yes. The course has been JAAF (Japan Association of Athletics Federations) certified since 2012, so a chip time here is valid for Boston Marathon qualifying. Check your age-group standard with our Boston qualifying tool; just note the warm subtropical conditions can cost you a few minutes versus a cool mainland race.

What makes the Naha Marathon special?

It bills itself as the 'Festival of Sun, Sea and Joggers,' and the atmosphere lives up to it. Okinawan locals line the southern roads handing out home-cooked food, fruit, awamori and snacks, making it one of Japan's friendliest big-city marathons rather than a fast time-trial.

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