Karuizawa Half Marathon 2026

The Karuizawa Half Marathon starts and finishes at the Karuizawa Prince Hotel ski resort parking lot, an 8-minute walk from Karuizawa Station’s South Exit. It is a half marathon held in May in Karuizawa, a resort town in Nagano, with a 21.0975 km main race limited to 5,500 participants. The half begins at 9:00 AM, has a 2 hour 50 minute time limit, and is open to adults 18 and over, excluding high school students. The race takes advantage of Karuizawa’s spring scenery, with participants running through a town often visited for cycling, skiing, shopping, and short getaways. A 2.1 km Family Pair run is also offered for a guardian aged 20 or older with one or two elementary school children, capped at 250 pairs and starting shortly after the half marathon. Bibs are sent out beforehand, the half has four aid stations, and runners driving are expected to use paid parking in town. The organizing bodies include Karuizawa town, the local tourism association, the Wakaba Matsuri committee, and The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun.