Tokyo Marathon

Haneda (HND) is closer to central Tokyo — 30 min by monorail to Hamamatsucho. Narita (NRT) is about 60–90 min by Narita Express (N'EX) to Shinjuku or Tokyo Station. Book N'EX in advance online to save time at the airport.

💡 If arriving at Narita, the N'EX + Suica card combo pass offers great value for the weekend. Load ¥3,000–5,000 on Suica for taps.

Shinjuku gives easy Odaiba access (for the Expo) and a huge choice of carb-friendly restaurants. Ginza puts you near the Hibiya Park finish. Both are within 30–40 min of the start at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

💡 Request a lower floor — Tokyo elevator waits can be slow when you're post-race exhausted.

MANDATORY bib and timing chip collection — race organisers do not allow same-day collection on race morning. The Expo is held at Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba, East Hall. Bring your registration confirmation (printed or digital) and a government-issued photo ID. Collect your bib, timing chip (attached to shoe), and runner's bag. Browse the exhibitor halls for last-minute gels, compression socks, and official merchandise.

💡 Go on arrival day (Day 1) — Saturday queues are manageable in the morning but swell by afternoon. Sunday (Day 2 eve) is extremely crowded.

After the Expo, take a short walk along the Odaiba waterfront with views of Rainbow Bridge and the Tokyo skyline. Keep it leisurely — no more than 20 minutes of walking. If time allows, book a short session at teamLab Planets nearby (book in advance).

💡 Stay off your feet as much as possible. Sit on the waterfront benches rather than wandering shops.

Head to Shinjuku's Takashimaya Times Square basement food hall or Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) for a hearty bowl of tonkotsu ramen or thick udon. Ramen is ideal: rich broth, noodles, and moderate sodium for electrolyte loading. Avoid anything too spicy or heavy on fibre.

💡 Ichiran Ramen (solo booth style) is perfect for a tired, solo traveller — minimal social interaction, great broth. Order extra noodles.

Wake by 05:30 for a 06:00 breakfast. Eat familiar carbs: white rice with egg, white toast with peanut butter and honey, or plain oatmeal. Avoid high-fibre foods, dairy, and anything new. Drink 500ml of water with electrolytes. Your hotel convenience store (7-Eleven is ubiquitous in Tokyo) will have onigiri and sports drinks.

💡 Pick up breakfast snacks the evening before from a convenience store. 06:00 hotel buffets may not be open yet.

Make your way to the start area in Shinjuku. Bag drop closes at 08:30 — do not be late. Bags are transported to the finish at Hibiya Park. Corrals are seeded by predicted finish time (A–J). Enter only your designated corral — marshals check bibs. The 09:10 gun fires for elite and Wave 1; subsequent waves depart in rolling starts. There are warm-up areas near the Government Building plaza.

💡 Wear a disposable layer (cheap convenience store rain poncho, ¥200) to stay warm in the corral — March in Tokyo is 6–12°C at race start. Discard at the first kilometre.

The course runs south-east from the Metropolitan Government Building through Iidabashi, skirts the Imperial Palace, heads north-east to Asakusa and Sensō-ji Temple (around km 18–22), returns south-west through Nihonbashi, Ginza, and Shimbashi, and finishes at Hibiya Park. The course is certified flat — maximum elevation change is under 70m. Aid stations every 2.5 km serve water and sports drink. Gel stations at km 15, 25, and 35. Spectator density is extraordinary through Asakusa.

💡 Pace conservatively through Asakusa — the energy and crowds tempt you to go fast. You'll pay for it past km 30. Stick to your race plan.

Collect your finisher's medal, space blanket, and official runner's towel. Queue for the bag retrieval tent (allow 20–30 min). Hot soup and fruit are provided. Official finisher merchandise (engraved medals, personalised T-shirts) available at the post-race zone. Take your finish photo at the official photo station.

💡 Change into dry clothes from your bag immediately — even mild post-race chill can set in fast. Bring a full change of clothes including socks.

Walk (slowly) or take a taxi to a nearby restaurant in Ginza or Hibiya. Shabu-shabu — thin-sliced beef in hot broth with vegetables — is ideal post-race: lean protein, warm, easy to digest. Alternatively, a donburi (rice bowl) restaurant works well. Avoid alcohol on race night — you are severely dehydrated.

💡 Order extra rice. Your glycogen stores are empty. Miso soup provides sodium for rehydration.

Take the Yamanote Line to Shibuya (or walk if the hotel is close). Stand at the iconic Shibuya Scramble Crossing — no more than 15 minutes of walking at a time. Head along Takeshita Street in Harajuku for colourful snacks and window shopping. Keep total walking to under 5 km and bring compression socks.

💡 Compression socks or calf sleeves will dramatically reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) on recovery day. Wear them all day.

A 10-minute walk from Harajuku station, Meiji Shrine's forested pathway provides a quiet, flat stroll under towering camphor trees. The gravel paths are soft underfoot — ideal for post-race legs. It is both a recovery walk and a genuinely moving cultural experience.

💡 Arrive before 09:00 for near-solitude. The inner shrine and wishing wall are worth a short stop.

Spend a gentle hour in a department store basement food hall (Isetan Shinjuku or Takashimaya are excellent) — sample Japanese sweets, pick up gifts, and rest your legs in the café. Alternatively, visit the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum if staying an extra night.

Allow 90 minutes for Narita and 45 minutes for Haneda. Check airport limousine bus schedules from Shinjuku or your hotel — buses are luggage-friendly and more comfortable post-race than dragging a bag through subway turnstiles.

💡 Book the Airport Limousine Bus the morning of departure. Operates from major Tokyo hotels directly to NRT Terminal 1/2/3.

Both Narita and Haneda have excellent pre-security and airside dining. Narita Terminal 2 has a ramen counter in the international departure hall. Haneda's T3 has sushi conveyor belts and tonkatsu restaurants. A fitting farewell meal after 42 km.