Course & Elevation
The Kobe Marathon is a mass-participation marathon through Kobe, on the Seto Inland Sea coast, held on a Sunday in November. The first race was run on 20 November 2011 under the theme 'Gratitude and Friendship', which expresses thanks for the support Kobe received after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and about 20,000 runners take part each year. The 2026 race, on 15 November, starts in front of Kobe City Hall at 09:00 (second wave 09:15), runs west along the coast through Suma and Maiko to a turnaround near Okura Beach in Akashi and finishes at Kobe Harborland on Kobe Gas Lamp Street. This course has been used since the 2025 race, and it is certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and by World Athletics and AIMS. The time limit is seven hours from the first gun and the event closes at 16:00. A relay run for pairs takes place on the same day. The 2026 marathon belongs to the MGC Series 2026-27 (men's G2, women's G3). At the start a choir sings 'Shiawase hakoberu yo ni', and runners traditionally raise yellow gloves, a nod to the sunflower that symbolises recovery.
Course Facts
Weather
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
14°C
Temperature
63%
Humidity
21%
Rain Chance
In mid-November Kobe averages a daytime high of about 17-18°C and a low of about 11°C, with measurable rain on roughly six days of the month; the race starts at 09:00.
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