The 4th Kumamoto Castle Marathon will be held on Sunday, 15 February 2015 in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The Kumamoto Castle Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event that was first started in 2012 to commemorate Kumamoto of becoming an ordinance-designated city on 1 April 2012. The event will start at 9:00 a.m. regardless of rain.

The Kumamoto Castle Marathon course will take runners on a fascinating journey through the city of the castle town and rich nature. Runners will pass through the historical castle town and ends at the majestic premier castle - Kumamoto Castle. Participants will feel the unique hospitality of Kumamoto city as locals, from students and shop owners to local organisation members, welcome and cheer them on along the course. The public and participants are able to donate to charity which helps local sports promotion, cultural property protection support, volunteer activities support and disaster relief.

The Kumamoto Castle was built by the Daimyo Kato Kiyomasa, who governed the region at the beginning of the 17th century. Considered one of the three premier castles in Japan along with Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle, the Kumamoto Castle (熊本城 Kumamotojo) is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and extremely well fortified castle with thirteen structures in the castle complex which are now designated Important Cultural Property. The Kumamoto Castle was listed as one of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan by the Japan Castle Foundation.

*Event Information

Category: Rekishimeguri Full Marathon
Distance: Full marathon
Time Limit: 7h
Maximum Number of Participants: 12,000 runners
Eligibility: Those aged 18 old or older on the day of the race, and those men and women who can run the whole distance within 6h 40min. (High school students are not allowed.)

Category: Kanaguri Kumanichi 30km Race
Distance: 30km
Time Limit: Must pass the 28.3km checkpoint by 10:58 a.m.
Maximum Number of Participants: 150 runners
Eligibility: Those born on or before 1 April 1996 and are registered with the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF). (High school students are not allowed.)

Category: Jokamachi 4km Race
Distance: 4km
Time Limit: 1h 15min
Maximum Number of Participants: 1,500 runners
Eligibility: Junior high school students or older

*Event information may be subjected to change. For more information, you can visit the Kumamoto Castle Marathon official site.