Tokyo Marathon 2027 general entry is open, giving runners worldwide until 5:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time on August 28 to apply for the March 7, 2027 race. Tokyo is notoriously difficult to enter: recent years have seen roughly 300,000 applicants competing for around 30,000 lottery places, putting the historical acceptance rate near 10%.
That does not mean every applicant has exactly a one-in-10 chance. Tokyo divides places across several entry routes, so an international first-time applicant is not necessarily competing in the same pool as a Tokyo resident or qualifying ONE TOKYO member.
Tokyo Marathon 2027 deadline and results
General applications opened August 14 and close on August 28, 2026. The process is not first-come, first-served, so applying earlier does not improve lottery odds.
General lottery results are scheduled for September 18. Successful applicants must pay by 5:00 p.m. JST on September 30 or lose their place. Runners should use the official Tokyo Marathon 2027 entry guidelines for final application and eligibility requirements.
What the 10% acceptance rate really means
Tokyo’s general selection is not one undivided lottery. For 2027, 4,000 places are reserved for eligible ONE TOKYO members who missed out in 2024, 2025 and 2026, while another 1,000 places are allocated through a Tokyo resident draw.
The entry structure also reserves 500 places for runners with disabilities, 15 for racing-wheelchair participants and five Duo Teams. Historical acceptance rates therefore show the scale of demand but cannot provide an exact probability for an individual applicant.
Entry fees and eligibility
The entry fee is JPY 19,800 for domestic runners and US$230 for overseas runners. Optional baggage check costs another JPY 1,200.
General participants must be at least 19 on race day and capable of completing 42.195 km within 6 hours and 30 minutes. Racing-wheelchair entrants must be able to finish within 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Sub-three-hour runners need proof
Anyone predicting a finish of 3:00:00 or faster must provide an official result from a race held between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026.
The required standard is a marathon under 3:00:00 or half marathon under 1:25:00. GPS-watch and running-app records alone are not accepted as official evidence.
Other entry routes have closed
Several alternative routes have already closed. Tokyo allocated 5,000 charity places, while the RUN as ONE semi-elite field has 280 places. The ONE TOKYO priority application window also ended August 13.
For many international runners without access to those routes, the general lottery is now the main remaining option. Runners comparing highly competitive ballots can also review the London Marathon 2027 ballot, entry dates and odds.
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Record field for Tokyo’s 20th edition
Tokyo Marathon 2027 expands to a record 40,000 runners, up from 39,000. The figure represents the entire field, not 40,000 general-lottery places, because charity, member, elite and other categories are included.
The race marks Tokyo Marathon’s 20th edition. Interest in major international races remains intense, with events such as the 2026 Paris Marathon and Yemaneberhan Crippa’s 2:05:18 victory highlighting the global appeal of big-city marathon racing.
Special 100mm anniversary medal
Every 2027 finisher will receive a 100 mm 20th Anniversary Premium Edition medal. Its front features a stylized “20,” with the “2” representing a runner’s route and the “0” incorporating Tokyo Marathon design elements. The reverse depicts landmarks associated with the course.
The anniversary edition also carries a $170,000 champion’s prize for both the men’s and women’s winners.
International runners need to arrive early
Successful overseas applicants should plan travel around mandatory packet pick-up at Tokyo Big Sight on March 4, 5 and 6. There is no race-day packet collection, and runners must complete registration personally.
For applicants, three dates matter most: August 28 for the entry deadline, September 18 for general lottery results and September 30 for successful runners to complete payment.
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