Osaka International Women's Marathon

Japan’s third-largest city, ultra-urban, hard-working Osaka (大阪) is an unabashed antidote to the fashion-forward frenzy of Tokyo and the prim propriety of Kyoto. This longtime capital of commerce is filled with down-to-earth citizens speaking colourful Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect) and neon-clad streetscapes bursting with over-the-top 3D signage.

Most of all, Osaka is famous for good food. The phrase kuidaore (‘eat ’til you drop’) is heard so frequently here that it’s practically the city motto. Delicacies from okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) to conveyor-belt sushi were invented here and continue to thrive.

With that being said, the Osaka Women’s Marathon is the place to be!!

The Osaka Women’s Marathon is an annual marathon road race for women over the classic distance of 42.195 kilometres which is held on the 4th or 5th Sunday of January in the city of Osaka, Japan, and hosted by Japan Association of Athletics Federations, Kansai Telecasting Corporation, the Sankei Shimbun, Sankei Sports, Radio Osaka and Osaka City.

The first edition took place on January 24, 1982, and was won by Italy’s Rita Marchisio. The 1995 marathon was cancelled due to the Great Hanshin earthquake. The race takes place in the city and passes prominent landmarks such as Osaka Castle. The course was altered in 2011 to allow for faster times by cutting out a number of hilly sections near Osaka Castle. The finish line of the race is at Nagai Stadium, which was the host venue for the 2007 World Championships in Athletics.