Hitachi Seaside Marathon

The Hitachi Seaside Marathon is a full-distance road marathon held in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, a Pacific coastal city northeast of Tokyo. The race is built around one of Hitachi’s defining features—the sea—and gives runners the unusual opportunity to race along elevated coastal roads with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The 2026 edition takes place on Sunday, November 15, 2026, with the full marathon beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The event’s signature attraction is its course along the Hitachi Seaside Road, a spectacular section of roadway constructed immediately beside—and in places seemingly above—the Pacific. The official race organizers describe the experience as feeling almost like running over the sea, with expansive ocean and sky views accompanying runners along the route. Around the middle of the marathon, competitors also pass the Kawarago Beach area, where the course again brings runners directly alongside the coastline.