2027 Tamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon - Mar 7

2027 Tamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon - Mar 7 Countdown

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Race Information

Race2027 Tamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon - Mar 7
CityTamba-Sasayama
Date2027-03-07 at 10:30
Field Size~8,000 runners
Time Limit6 hours 30 min
Cutoff pace9:15/km
TimezoneAsia/Tokyo
Official SiteTamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon (丹波篠山市 / 朝日放送テレビ / 兵庫陸上競技協会)
RegistrationRegister · 10000 JPY

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Race Day Weather

Average Temperature5.4°C / 42°F
Humidity82%
Wind20.5 km/h
Rain Chance46%
Typical ConditionsCold, often clear early-March mornings inland in the Tamba basin of northern Hyogo, typically around 3-8C at the late-morning start, with thin air and a chance of frost overnight before the day warms.

What to Prepare: This is a cold, inland basin start, noticeably chillier than coastal Kansai races: wear a long-sleeve base layer, light gloves and a throwaway top for the corral. The countryside roads are open and can be breezy, so pack a thin wind layer you can shed once you warm up.

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 20.5 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 1.4°C 5.1°C 10.1°C
Dew point -2.2°C 1.7°C 7.9°C
Wet-day chance: 46% Runnability: 64/100

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

Course Profile

Course TypeOut-and-back road marathon
Elevation Gain80m
TerrainRoad
ProfileAn out-and-back road course starting and finishing by the Sasayama Castle ruins, running out through Tamba-Sasayama's satoyama farmland to a turnaround and back into the old castle town. No major climbs (about 55 m of relief), but a long gradual rise from roughly 10 km to 23 km gives way to a downhill-biased back half, so it rewards holding back early rather than a big surge.
Boston QualifierYes — Check your BQ time

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Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Tamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon 2027?

The 47th Tamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon is projected for Sunday, March 7, 2027. The 2027 date is not yet officially announced, but the race has fallen on the first Sunday of March for years (the 46th ran March 1, 2026; the 45th March 2, 2025), and March 7 is the first Sunday in 2027. It is an out-and-back course starting and finishing by the Sasayama Castle ruins in Tamba-Sasayama, a historic castle town in northern Hyogo about 60 km from Osaka, running out through the surrounding satoyama countryside to a turnaround and back.

How do I enter, and is there a lottery?

There is no lottery: the full marathon uses first-come, first-served entry, with a field quota of 8,000 runners. Entry typically opens around October 1 and closes about December 20 (or earlier if the cap fills), through the official site and RUNNET. The domestic full-marathon fee is 10,000 yen; overseas runners pay 20,000 yen. Because slots are first-come rather than balloted, sign up as soon as registration opens and set a target time with our race time predictor.

What is the time limit, and is the course beginner-friendly?

The time limit is a generous 6 hours 30 minutes, measured from the mass start through staffed checkpoints, with the finish closing in the late afternoon. The cutoff was extended from the old 5 hour 20 minute limit at the 45th edition (2025), which made the race far more welcoming to first-timers; recent fields finish at roughly an 85 percent rate. The course has no decisive hill — just a long gentle rise from about 10 km to 23 km that the downhill second half gives back — so it is still a sensible first marathon for a confident walker-runner. Plan even splits with our pace calculator.

What makes this castle-town marathon different?

Tamba-Sasayama is one of Japan's historic citizen marathons, billed locally alongside Tokyo's Ome race in the old saying "Ome in the east, Sasayama in the west." Two signatures stand out: a wild-boar soup (shishi-jiru) aid station that nods to the region's botan-nabe hot-pot tradition, and a finisher medal made from Tamba-yaki, the local Japan Heritage pottery fired in one of the country's oldest kilns. The route threads the preserved Edo-era castle town and its samurai-residence streets.

Is the Tamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon a Boston-qualifying race?

Yes. The Sasayama Castle marathon course is certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF / 日本陸連公認), so an official chip time can be used toward Boston Marathon qualifying if you meet your age-group standard. The rolling countryside out-and-back is honest rather than fast, so weigh that before chasing a tight qualifier here. Check where you stand with our Boston qualifying calculator.

Is there a relay option, or is it full marathon only?

The event is overwhelmingly a full marathon, but a two-person relay was added at the 45th edition (2025), capped at about 150 teams (300 runners) for 15,000 yen per team. There is no half marathon or shorter individual distance, so if you want to share the 42.195 km the relay is the only way to split it. The vast majority of the field, around 8,000 runners, runs the full distance solo.

How long has the race been running, and how do I reach it?

The marathon dates to 1981 (the citizen-running movement behind it began in 1980) and was renamed the Tamba-Sasayama ABC Marathon at the 40th edition in 2020, when the city changed its name to Tamba-Sasayama. It is co-organized by the city, Asahi Broadcasting (ABC) and the Hyogo athletics federation. Reach Tamba-Sasayama from Osaka or Shin-Osaka by JR to Sasayamaguchi Station (around 70 minutes), then a short bus or shuttle to the castle-town start; most runners base themselves in Osaka and travel in, as local lodging is limited.

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