Target year to be set
Not 2027: that race is on Sunday 7 March, the same day as the Los Angeles Marathon on Denny's calendar, and he can't be in two places at once. So Tokyo stays a target, with the year still to be set.
Tokyo is one of the hardest Majors to get into. The general ballot has drawn over 300,000 applications in past years (330,271 in 2019, the last official count) for a 40,000-runner field. UK charity places ask £3,250 to £5,000 in fundraising, and tour operator packages run about £3,400 to £4,400 for entry and five nights, before flights.
Dates, entries and plans can change. Ballots, bookings, injuries, illness, cancellations and new races all play a part. Denny sends a voice note every week and this site follows it.
Estimated Travel Cost
£600 to £1,200 Flights
+ £200/night
What Denny's up against
How hard is the Tokyo Marathon?
Field
40,000
Time limit
7 hours
Cut-off points
9
Start temp (avg)
9°C
Tokyo starts outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku and finishes in front of Tokyo Station, passing the Kaminarimon Gate in Asakusa, Ginza, and the Sumida River at 20 km. The course drops about 38 metres overall. The official course map shows it doubling back at three turning points, at Uenohirokoji, Tomioka Hachimangu and Tamachi Station, and crossing Kuramae Bridge on the way.
The clock is the other opponent. There is a 7-hour limit from the starting gun and nine cut-off points along the way, so runners in the back pens have less time than it sounds. Race mornings average about 9°C at the start, and 2019 showed how bad it can get: 4°C and cold rain. The last kilometre or two runs over stone paving in Marunouchi, just when the legs least want it.
Sources, checked September 2026: Tokyo Marathon outline · Official course map · The Running Channel · FindMyMarathon weather
Next Major
Cape Town
23 May 2027 · Target