The 2026 Karuizawa Half Marathon is a highly popular road race set for Sunday, May 17, 2026, in the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. Often referred to as one of Japan’s most beautiful resort races, the course winds through lush forested areas and historic districts. The event features a two-wave start system to manage the flow of its 5,500 participants and follows a strict time limit policy to facilitate local traffic reopening.
| Event | Capacity | Start Time | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half Marathon | 5,500 people | 09:00 (Wave 1) / 09:05 (Wave 2) | 2 Hours 50 Minutes |
| Family Pair (2.1km) | 250 pairs (500 people) | 09:20 AM | 20 Minutes |
The course includes four mandatory checkpoints. Runners must reach the first 5.0km mark by 9:50 AM and the final 19.2km checkpoint by 11:44 AM to continue. Participants receive an original T-shirt upon entry, and half-marathon finishers are awarded a commemorative towel. The venue is conveniently located at the Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort, just an 8-minute walk from the South Exit of Karuizawa Station, making it highly accessible for runners traveling from Tokyo via the Shinkansen.
Karuizawa is an elite "summer retreat" town, and its marathon attracts a demographic that is slightly more affluent and international than typical rural Japanese races.
Racial and National Composition:
Age and Gender Distribution:
Logistically, the event is supported by a massive coalition of local organizations, including the Karuizawa Police and several prestigious golf clubs. Timing is conducted via RFID chips, and official results are published based on "Gross Time" for top honors. Registration for the 2026 event ran through early March, but the event consistently reaches its 5,500-person capacity well before the deadline.
May 17, 2026
Distance — 21.1K
Type — Running
09:00
$63.00
May 17, 2026
Distance — 2.1K
Type — Running
09:20
$31.50
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for May in Karuizawa.
Learn more about the host city, Karuizawa.
Karuizawa (軽井沢) is a town in Nagano prefecture, famous as an upscale summer resort.
Read more launchWatch highlights and course previews from previous years.
Read what other athletes have to say about their experience at the Karuizawa Half Marathon.
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Explore other exciting events happening in this same region.
location_on Shibukawa, Gunma, JP
calendar_today May 17, 2026
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