Shikoku’s four prefectural-capital marathons are not interchangeable 42.195 km food festivals. For one day, city streets, the Seto Inland Sea or Pacific landscape, rivers and local volunteers become a race system. All four 2026 events have already finished, however. This guide uses their official records to help you choose and prepare for a future edition without presenting expired entry information as current.
Compare the official 2026 records
| Race | 2026 start | Gun-time limit | Capacity / marathon fee | Travel shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ehime | 1 Feb, 10:00 | 6 hours | 10,000 / ¥20,000 plus fees | Central Matsuyama start and finish |
| Kochi Ryoma | 15 Feb, 09:00 | 7 hours | 10,000 / ¥13,000 | Prefectural Office to Haruno |
| Kagawa | 15 Mar, 10:00 | 6 hours | 10,000 / ¥14,000 | Takamatsu base; compulsory prior-day check-in |
| Tokushima | 22 Mar, 09:00 | 7 hours | 8,500 / ¥11,000 plus fees | Prefectural Office to athletics stadium |
These are 2026 full-marathon figures. Shirts, charity options, transaction fees, transport and lodging may cost extra. The old claim that Shikoku race fees were uniformly ¥5,000–12,000 was false.
Kagawa Marathon: an inaugural race, not a permanent template
The first event ran on 15 March 2026, starting at 10:00 outside Anabuki Arena Kagawa, with six hours and nine checkpoints. The route linked Takamatsu and Ayagawa. Do not repeat the old description of a uniformly flat course with a guaranteed view of “Sanuki Fuji”; inspect the next official map and elevation profile.
- 2026 check-in: 14 March, 10:00–19:00 at Anabuki Arena Kagawa. No marathon check-in on race day; identity was checked.
- Eligibility: born on or before 1 April 2007 and expected to finish in six hours. Racing wheelchairs were excluded; a conditional guide-runner system applied.
- Overseas quota: 300, through RUN JAPAN/JTB Sports Station in 2026. Future channels may differ.
- Address/access: 2-1 Sunport, Takamatsu, Kagawa; walkable from JR Takamatsu Station, subject to the year’s controlled route.
An advertised udon aid item is not a guaranteed meal, quantity or allergen-safe product. Train with your own nutrition and check the edition-specific aid list.
Ehime Marathon: central-city logistics, but six hours from the gun
The 63rd race started before Ehime Prefectural Office at 10:00 on 1 February 2026 and finished in Shiroyama Park, Horinouchi. Its six hours ran from the gun—not each runner’s mat crossing—and ten checkpoints applied. The certified route did not run past Dogo Onsen Honkan, and post-race bathing was not an included entitlement.
- 2026 cost: ¥20,000 plus handling charges; capacity 10,000.
- Venues: Ehime Prefectural Office, 4-4-2 Ichibancho, Matsuyama; Shiroyama Park Horinouchi.
- Access example: about 15 minutes on foot from JR Matsuyama Station. Recheck airport buses, stops and fares for the relevant year.
- 2026 finish items: an Imabari Towel bath towel and certificate, not a promise for later editions.
Matsuyama City Station, JR Matsuyama Station and Dogo Onsen Station are different. Select a hotel by verified early-morning access to the start, not by a broad destination label.
Kochi Ryoma Marathon: a point-to-point Pacific race
On 15 February 2026 the 09:00 course went from Kochi Prefectural Office through Kochi, Nankoku and Tosa to Haruno Sports Park. It allowed seven hours, 10,000 marathon runners and cost ¥13,000. It starts near Kochi Castle but does not pass through Katsurahama itself; study the Pacific section and Urado Bridge load on the official profile.
- Start: Kochi Prefectural Office, 1-2-20 Marunouchi, Kochi.
- Finish: Haruno Sports Park, 2485 Yoshihara, Haruno-cho, Kochi—away from the start.
- Eligibility: generally 18+, expected seven-hour completion; no racing-wheelchair marathon. A 1.4 km fun run and pair relay also existed in 2026.
- Return: verify that year’s baggage and official shuttle arrangements; plan where supporters will reunite.
Do not count on katsuo tataki at an aid station. Raw-food handling, quantity, recipient and allergens require official confirmation; book a separate Kochi meal if it matters.
Tokushima Marathon: seven hours around the Yoshino River
The 22 March 2026 race started at 09:00 before Tokushima Prefectural Office, used both banks of the Yoshino River and finished at Work Staff Athletics Stadium. It had seven hours, seven checkpoints and 8,500 places. Entry was ¥11,000, an optional shirt ¥2,000, plus handling. Wave starts were discontinued for 2026.
- Eligibility: 18+ on race day, excluding applicants still in high school, and likely to finish by 16:00. A conditional free guide runner was available.
- Overseas reception: 21 March, 10:00–18:00 at Aibahama Park in 2026; overseas quota 200.
- Places: start at 1-1 Bandai-cho; finish at 2-116-2 Minamitamiya, Tokushima.
- Culture: Awa Odori-themed support does not create a contractual post-finish dance experience.
Overseas entry: solve account, address and bib delivery first
- Enter from the current official race site, not an advertisement or unofficial calendar.
- Check first-come versus lottery, residence quota, age, predicted-time and proof-of-result rules.
- Match the name to the passport or accepted ID. Transfers and substitute runners are prohibited.
- Confirm whether a Japanese phone/address is needed and whether bibs are mailed or collected.
- Save transaction, cancellation and cancellation-of-event terms; travel purchases are separate contracts.
RUNNET, RUN JAPAN, JTB and other systems may serve different races or quotas. Use only a link reached from the organiser’s current page.
Design lodging and transport around both ends
Stay at least the previous night. Where prior-day check-in applies, arrive well before its closing time. Avoid relying on the first train alone: choose walking access or transport explicitly confirmed by the organiser. For point-to-point Kochi and Tokushima, separately plan baggage, the return shuttle and a reunion point.
- Road restrictions can alter buses, taxis and hotel shuttles.
- A rental car does not imply venue parking; only the current designated parking or park-and-ride plan counts.
- Keep race-day sightseeing flexible. Decide on bathing after checking dehydration, wounds, crowds and facility rules.
A cutoff is more than average pace
Gun-time limits include the rear block’s delay to the start mat. Add congestion, bridges, turns, toilets and aid, then work backwards from every checkpoint closing time. Officials may stop a runner who is conspicuously behind even after a checkpoint if safe operation requires it.
February and March in Shikoku can bring cold rain, wind, sun or abnormal warmth. Use equipment and fuel tested in training. Chest pain, collapse, altered awareness or severe breathing difficulty means stop and alert medical staff; for an emergency Japan uses 119, but first give a nearby marshal your precise location.
Treat pilgrimage, food and cheering as living context
The Shikoku Henro connects 88 sacred places through living devotion associated with Kobo Daishi; it is not decorative “pilgrimage country” scenery for a race. If a course approaches a temple, worshippers and residents retain priority. Visit separately and observe temple rules.
Spectators should stay outside the course, barriers, entrances, private land and tactile paving. Do not publish intrusive close-ups of distressed strangers, hand runners unofficial food, or discard cups and gel wrappers outside designated areas.
Overwrite these fields when the next regulations appear
- Date, events, gun time, total limit and every cutoff.
- Lottery/first-come method, overseas quota and Japan-time window.
- Fee, handling, optional items and refund terms.
- Age, records, wheelchair, disability and guide-runner conditions.
- ID, bib delivery/check-in and baggage dimensions.
- Start/finish addresses, controlled access and road closures.
- Aid, medical, weather and equipment rules.
- Hotel cancellation and a worthwhile trip even if the race is cancelled.
Official references: Kagawa Marathon 2026, 63rd Ehime Marathon, Kochi Ryoma Marathon and Tokushima Marathon. Use the newest edition page when planning.