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Jul 23 How to Enter the Tokyo Marathon: Lottery, Priority, Charity Jul 22 Boston Marathon 2027 lottery: 1,000 spots for missed cutoffs Jul 22 How to Get Into the NYC Marathon Jul 21 How to Get Into the London Marathon Jul 20 How to Get Into the Boston Marathon Jul 10 Didn't Get Into the London Marathon 2027? Your Options Jul 09 London Marathon 2027 Ballot Results Are Out Jul 07 Why It's So Hard to Get Into a Marathon Right Now Jul 03 London Marathon 2027: Two Days, 100,000 Runners Jul 01 Perseverance's marathon pace: one mile every 74 days
[ Wire ] · Dispatch · Jul 23

How to Enter the Tokyo Marathon: Lottery, Priority, Charity

Tokyo Marathon 2027 entry runs on three separate tracks, not one ballot. The Donation & Charity Runner route already closed on July 9, 2026. Semi-Elite priority entry (RUN as ONE) and the overseas ONE TOKYO GLOBAL membership route open July 31 and run through August 13. The General Entry lottery, the route most runners use, opens August 14 and closes August 28.

What is the Tokyo Marathon general lottery?

General Entry is open to anyone and runs from 11:00 a.m. JST on August 14 through 5:00 p.m. JST on August 28, 2026. Results are notified September 18, 2026, with a fee payment window following for anyone selected. The general lottery accepts roughly 10% of applicants, per the Tokyo Marathon Foundation's own published rate, competing for a share of a field that grows to a record 40,000 runners for the 2027 edition, the race's 20th anniversary. Odds and historical field data are on the Tokyo Marathon page, and the 2026 results page shows how the most recent lottery played out.

What is semi-elite priority entry (RUN as ONE)?

RUN as ONE is Tokyo's priority route for competitive amateur runners: a qualifying time of 2:21:00 for men and 2:52:00 for women skips the general lottery entirely, subject to a field cap. Entry runs July 31 through August 13, 2026, with results notified September 1 and fee payment due September 1 to 11. It is the fastest, most certain way into Tokyo if a runner already has the time in hand. Anyone unsure where their personal best lands can check it against the standard with the qualification checker.

Is there a route for overseas runners?

ONE TOKYO GLOBAL is a paid membership program for runners living outside Japan, and it shares the same July 31 to August 13 entry window and September 1 results date as the semi-elite route, running as its own member-priority track rather than a qualifying-time route. It sits alongside the general lottery as a second option for international entrants who want better odds than the roughly 10% baseline.

How does Tokyo Marathon charity entry work?

The Run with Heart program sets a minimum donation of about ¥100,000 (roughly $670 USD) to a partner charity in exchange for guaranteed entry. For the 2027 race, applications ran June 24 through July 9, 2026, a window that has now closed. Runners planning around the charity route for a future edition should expect the same late-June opening the year before that race.

What's new for the Tokyo Marathon 2027?

The 2027 race is the 20th edition, and the Tokyo Marathon Foundation is marking it with a record field of 40,000 runners, up from 39,000, and a $170,000 champion's prize, the largest in Abbott World Marathon Majors history. The Duo Team division, previously a trial, becomes an official category, and a new full-distance para-athlete marathon division replaces the previous 10.7km para race.

Which Tokyo Marathon entry route should I use?

If a runner already holds a 2:21 (men) or 2:52 (women) marathon time, RUN as ONE in late July is the surest route and skips the lottery. Overseas runners without that time should weigh ONE TOKYO GLOBAL membership against the general lottery's roughly 10% odds. Runners without a qualifying time or membership are left with the August general lottery as the main option, since the charity window for 2027 has already passed. Anyone want to model their odds against past cycles can use the Marathon Ballot Simulator, and Tokyo Marathon alerts send a reminder before the general lottery opens and again before it closes.

Sources: Tokyo Marathon Foundation: Participants entry schedule, Tokyo Marathon Foundation: Announcement regarding the Tokyo Marathon 2027

Sources Tokyo Marathon Foundation Entry period and results notification dates for General Entry, Semi-Elite (RUN as ONE), ONE TOKYO GLOBAL, and Donation & Charity Runner categories quoted verbatim from marathon.tokyo/en/participants (accessed July 23, 2026); 2027 field size and prize money from the Tokyo Marathon Foundation's June 22, 2026 announcement (tokyo42195.org); odds, qualifying times, and charity minimum from this site's own Tokyo Marathon page, sourced from the same official site.