Tokyo Marathon

Tokyo Marathon (東京マラソン) is the largest marathon race in all of Asia, and without doubt the land of the rising sun, Japan, is one of the most marathon crazy nations in the world. The event has about 30,000 places for the marathon, for which almost 300,000 people apply, with final selections based on a lottery. The event is a relatively new entrant in marathon circle, with the first edition happening not too far back in 2007. The weather in also great in Feb in Japan, with a mean of 7 degrees C, ideal for a good run.Historically, Japan is known for its elite marathon races with very strict qualifying standards. Many mass races are also held throughout the nation. But they are, in most part, separate races that cater to different types of runners. At the present time, no other mass marathon in Japan, with the exception of the Tokyo Marathon, has an extensive elite field, and no other elite marathon has such a huge participatory field like the Tokyo Marathon. Thus, the Tokyo Marathon is a very unique marathon in Japan; it is the only marathon in Japan that matches both the elite field depth and mass participation base of the other major marathons in the world.The Tokyo Marathon is also unique in one other respect. Through its theme, "The Day We Unite," the Tokyo Marathon unites runners, volunteers (TEAM SMILE), and spectators on race day.