第11回川内の郷かえるマラソン 2026

The Kawauchi-go Kaeru Marathon takes place in September in Kawauchi Village, Fukushima. This edition starts and finishes at the former Kawauchi Junior High School. It includes a half marathon, 10 km, 5 km, 3 km, and 1.5 km races. These distances accommodate adults, high school runners, junior high students, elementary school children, and family teams. The 3 km fun run is untimed; the other races use BibTags on the back of each runner's bib. The event originated from an idea by elementary school students and is organized by Kawauchi Lab, aiming to be a race people want to return to. The course runs through the Kawauchi Plateau, featuring rice fields and mountain views instead of an urban road-race setting. The name "Kaeru" means both "frog" and "to return," connecting the wish to return safely to Kawauchi with the forest green tree frog found at Hirabeshinuma pond, a protected natural monument. Frog hats and costumes are part of the race culture, and a costume award encourages participation. Previous editions attracted runners from across Japan, featured guest appearances by Yuki Kawauchi and Kaori Yoshida, and combined races with local food stalls, sponsor booths, and rice-cake throwing post-awards.