The Tokorozawa City Marathon is one of Saitama Prefecture’s signature winter road races, combining the excitement of stadium starts and finishes with a challenging route through the scenic western outskirts of Tokorozawa. Held annually in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, the event has become a popular destination for runners seeking a well-organized race that offers both urban and natural landscapes within easy reach of central Tokyo.
One of the race’s defining features is its unique venue at Belluna Dome, home of the Saitama Seibu Lions baseball team. Participants gather inside the iconic covered stadium before heading out onto a course that winds through the rolling terrain surrounding the Sayama Hills, returning to a memorable finish back at the dome. Few Japanese road races offer the opportunity to start and finish inside a professional sports stadium, making the Tokorozawa City Marathon a distinctive experience from the moment runners line up on the start line.
The course is known for being both scenic and demanding. Rather than a flat city circuit, runners encounter a series of climbs and descents through Tokorozawa’s western districts, passing wooded areas, residential neighbourhoods, and roads near Lake Sayama and the surrounding greenbelt. These continuous elevation changes reward disciplined pacing and provide an excellent test of endurance, making the race especially appealing to runners preparing for spring marathons or those looking for a challenging half marathon early in the year.