Tokyo Marathon to expand participant field for 2026 race

You don’t need to be a Wall Street analyst to see that marathon running is experiencing a boom. And some of the world’s most prestigious races are looking to capitalize on the surge.

On Monday, the Tokyo Marathon announced that it will expand its participant cap from 38,000 to 39,000 runners for the 2026 edition. Of these, 38,500 spots will be allocated to marathon participants. The remaining 500 entries will go to the 10.7K race, which starts at the same location and is reserved for youth, visually impaired athletes, transplant recipients and wheelchair racers.

Tokyo joined the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2013, becoming the sixth race in the series. It is currently the fifth-largest marathon of the series, behind New York, London, Chicago and Berlin—seeing around 35,000 finishers each year.

General entry for the 2026 Tokyo Marathon will open on Aug. 15 for male, female and non-binary categories. Like other Majors, the Tokyo Marathon uses a lottery system for general entry. More than 300,000 people apply annually, with fewer than 10 per cent landing a coveted start-line spot.

If you’re looking to increase your acceptance rate, consider a charity entry. Along with a donation of roughly C$1,000, runners must pay the standard race entry fee (approx. C$315). Another guaranteed entry route is through official travel partners, which offer race bibs bundled with hotel and flight packages. These options are steep, often more than C$5,000, but give runners a hassle-free alternative to the lottery.

The 2024 Tokyo Marathon welcomed more than 30,000 finishers. While Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede and Tadese Takele took the wins, it was former One Direction star Harry Styles who grabbed the headlines, finishing his debut marathon in 3:24:07.

Could you finish Harry Styles’ hard marathon session?