2025 Full Marathon Finishers Reach 345,268; Runners Under 29 Break 60,000 Milestone for the First Time: 'All Japan Marathon Ranking 2025' Announced

The R-bies Sports Foundation has announced the 'All Japan Marathon Ranking,' summarizing various data on full marathons held in Japan from April 2025 to March 2026. The number of qualifying races reached 108 (up from 92 the previous year), marking a new record high. The number of finishers was 345,268 (an increase of 9,416 from the previous year).

The All Japan Marathon Ranking was initiated in fiscal year 2004 with the goal of increasing the full marathon population in Japan. The number of finishers reached a record high of 375,907 in fiscal 2018, but dropped to 11,198 in fiscal 2020 due to event cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the number has been on a recovery trend, and this result represents the fifth-highest finisher count on record.

By age group, the number of finishers aged 29 and under reached 60,373, breaking the 60,000 mark for the first time. This is more than 6,000 higher than the previous record-high year (54,267), and this generation accounted for a large portion of the overall increase. In recent years, running has become increasingly popular among young people globally, and this trend is becoming clear in Japan as well.

Additionally, the number of finishers aged 60 and over reached a record high of 38,037. Three people aged 90 or older (two men and one woman) also completed a marathon.

*Note: In cases where the same individual completed multiple marathons, only the best time is used in the tally.

All Japan Marathon Ranking: This project, now in its 22nd year, creates a database of trends in domestic full marathon finishers by race and age group. The main content, the 'Full Marathon 1-Year Age Ranking,' aggregates completion records for full marathons held between April 2025 and March 2026 (a total of 108 races compliant with JAAF-certified courses and R-bies Sports Foundation standards, plus self-applied overseas races), ranking them by gender and age in 1-year increments. Detailed information is included in the separate supplement to the July issue of Monthly Runners, released on May 21.