NAHA Marathon 2026: 30,000 Runners in Okinawan Winter
They call it the festival of sun, sea and joggers, and the crowd support along the southern Okinawa coast is the reason people come back.
Overview
The NAHA Marathon is the largest citizens’ marathon in western Japan, first run in 1985 to mark 25 years of Naha’s sister-city relationship with Honolulu. The course covers Naha, Tomigusuku, Itoman, Haebaru and Yaese, on the south-western side of Okinawa’s main island.
December here is warm rather than cold, which makes the race a distinctive challenge – and the roadside, where households set up their own aid tables, is the thing runners talk about afterwards.
When and where
The 40th edition is on Sunday 6 December 2026, with the start at 09:00 from Onoyama Park and a 15:15 finish cut-off at the Onoyama athletics stadium. Race numbers and commemorative shirts are collected on Saturday 5 December, 10:00 to 20:00, at the prefectural budokan in Onoyama Park, where the opening ceremony is held at 13:30.
The race is held on the first Sunday of December each year.
Getting there
Onoyama Park is five to ten minutes from Naha Airport by bus or taxi, or one minute on foot from Tsubogawa or Onoyama-koen station on the Yui Rail monorail. Naha bus terminal is about ten minutes away on foot. Road closures across southern Okinawa are extensive on race day, so avoid renting a car for that morning.
What to expect
A big-city marathon with a small-island atmosphere.
- Capacity of 30,000 including priority allocations
- A 6 hour 15 minute limit, with intermediate cut-off points
- Entry by first come, first served rather than ballot, opening around 1 July
- Entry fees of 11,000 yen general, 9,000 yen for over-65s and high-school runners
- A course through Naha and four neighbouring municipalities, out towards the Peace Memorial Park area
Tickets and admission
Paid entry for runners, applied for online in advance. Spectating is free and needs no ticket. Priority places are set aside for hometown-tax donors from the five host municipalities and for runners with long consecutive-finish records.
Tips for visitors
If you plan to run a future edition, enter as soon as registration opens – popular years close well before the deadline. Even in December, sun protection and a hydration plan matter more here than warm kit. Build in a rest day afterwards: the beaches on the Motobu peninsula and the Churaumi Aquarium are two hours north and make a good recovery day.
Access and map
| Dates | 6 December 2026, 09:00 start (40th edition) |
|---|---|
| Venue | Onoyama Park, Naha, and southern Okinawa |
| Access | Yui Rail to Tsubogawa or Onoyama-koen, 1 minute on foot |
| Admission | Paid entry for runners; free to spectate |
| Official site | NAHA Marathon |
Source: NAHA Marathon official site
Image: Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5
