The Sports Mate Run Imperial Palace Marathon is a small morning race starting at the Imperial Palace Clock Tower in central Tokyo. Runners follow a 5 km loop around the Imperial Palace Outer Garden. The event includes six race options: parent-child 5 km, open 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 20 km, and a 20 km relay for four-person teams. Timing is provided, making it suitable for those using the event as a fitness check, as well as families and casual runners. The participant limit is 200, keeping it much smaller than Tokyo’s major road races.
The course is straightforward: one lap for 5 km, with additional laps for longer distances; the 20 km events require four loops. Registration, briefing, bib pickup, and race information are all conducted on race morning at the Clock Tower, a short walk from Sakuradamon Station. Junior high school students and older may enter the 10 km, 15 km, and 20 km races. The parent-child race pairs a child aged three through elementary school with a guardian. Finishers get same-day certificates, but there is no baggage check, and runners who have not begun their final lap by 11:00 AM must stop.