Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon

Next Race

February 7, 2027

305

days to go

First held in 1952, the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon runs annually between the coastal cities of Beppu and Oita on the island of Kyushu, Japan. The largely flat out-and-back course starts at Oita Municipal Athletic Stadium, reaches the Beppu port at the midpoint, and returns to the stadium for the finish. The race is limited to approximately 500 runners and holds World Athletics Elite Label status.

WA Elite Label

Est.

1952

Distance

42.195km / 26.2mi

Course

out-and-back

Surface

road

Field Size

~500

When

February

THE COURSE

MI 0

KM 0

Takasakiyama Start Area

The race begins in front of Takasakiyama Nature Reserve and Umi Tamago Aquarium on the Oita waterfront. Takasakiyama is a forested mountain home to about 1,500 wild Japanese macaques and serves as a distinctive backdrop for the start. The current start location has been used since the 59th edition in 2010.

MI 4.7

KM 7.5

Beppu Bay Coastal Highway

Heading northwest out of Oita, the course follows the flat coastline of Beppu Bay on a national coastal highway. Runners have views of the bay on the left and forested hills on the right throughout much of the outbound leg. The terrain is predominantly flat, making this section fast and well-suited to competitive pacing.

MI 11.5

KM 18.5

Beppu City

The course passes through Beppu, one of Japan's most productive hot spring cities, with over 2,000 registered hot spring sources. Steam from geothermal vents can be visible from the road in cooler February temperatures. Beppu is also home to the 'jigoku' (hells), a series of brightly colored hot spring pools that are a major tourist attraction.

MI 13.1

KM 21.1

Beppu Kankoko Port Turnaround

The halfway point of the out-and-back course is located at Beppu's Kankoko International Port. Runners reach the turnaround at approximately 21.1 km before retracing the coastal route back to Oita. The course was reversed in 1984 from its original Beppu-to-Oita direction, placing any prevailing headwind in the first half rather than the second.

MI 23

KM 37

Bridge at 37 km

Near the 37 km mark, the course features a short climb over a bridge, one of the few modest elevation changes on this otherwise flat route. This section frequently serves as a decisive point in elite races, where leading runners have made their decisive moves in multiple editions of the race.

MI 26.2

KM 42.2

J-Lease Stadium Finish

The race concludes on the athletics track at J-Lease Stadium (the Oita Municipal Athletic Stadium), a multipurpose venue in central Oita. Runners enter the stadium for the final lap before crossing the finish line. The stadium has been the finish venue since the course direction was reversed in 1984.