Osaka Half Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Osaka Half Marathon is a point-to-point half marathon in Osaka, held on a Sunday in late January on the same day as the Osaka International Women's Marathon. It starts at noon on the east side of Osaka Castle Park, on Tamatsukuri-suji, and finishes at Yanmar Stadium Nagai. The course is measured at 21.0975 km, certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and carries World Athletics and AIMS certification. From the castle park the route follows Tamatsukuri-suji past Morinomiya station, then Imazato-suji and Matsumushi-dori, and enters Nagai Park for the final kilometres. The time limit is 2 hours 5 minutes from the gun, with cut-off points at seven places on the course. The field is capped at 7,000 runners, and entrants must be at least 18; JAAF-registered runners and general entrants are separate classes, and only JAAF-registered runners get certified times. In 2026 Taiga Hirayama won in 1:00:50, a new race record, and Yoshikawa was the first woman in 1:09:14. The women's marathon runners return to the stadium after the half marathon has finished.