Osaka Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
Japan's second-largest marathon and the natural landing spot for Tokyo's lottery overflow, run point-to-point through central Osaka from the Prefectural Government Building to Osaka Castle Park. It is flat through 35 km before a modest climb into the castle grounds decides the finish — hold something back for it. Late-February conditions are reliably cool.
The Osaka Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast — rated 1/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the course gains about 240 ft (70 m) and loses 270 ft (80 m), with roughly level start to finish. Grade-adjusted pace says the toughest stretch arrives at kilometre 32 (near mile 20), demanding about 7% more effort than the same distance on flat ground. The steepest pitch on course reaches 4.7%.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Osaka, Japan |
| Total ascent | 240 ft (70 m) |
| Total descent | 270 ft (80 m) |
| Net elevation | -36 ft (-11 m) |
| Steepest grade | 4.7% |
| Difficulty | 1/5 |
| Field size | ≈34,000 runners |
| Race day | Late February |
| Elevation from | GSI DEM (Japan, 5 m) |
Bare-earth terrain model, smoothed over 500 m — it measures the ground, not the rooftops.
Kilometre-by-kilometre splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill kilometres get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Kilometre | GAP pace /km | GAP pace /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:20 | 8:35 | -40 ft (-12 m) | 5:20 |
| 2 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 11:03 |
| 3 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 16:42 |
| 4 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 22:24 |
| 5 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 28:06 |
| 6 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 33:50 |
| 7 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -2 ft (0 m) | 39:31 |
| 8 | 5:37 | 9:03 | -8 ft (-2 m) | 45:08 |
| 9 | 5:44 | 9:13 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 50:52 |
| 10 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 56:31 |
| 11 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:02:16 |
| 12 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:07:56 |
| 13 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:13:33 |
| 14 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:19:17 |
| 15 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:24:55 |
| 16 | 5:42 | 9:10 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:30:37 |
| 17 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:36:18 |
| 18 | 5:41 | 9:10 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:42:00 |
| 19 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 1:47:45 |
| 20 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 1:53:31 |
| 21 | 5:37 | 9:02 | -8 ft (-3 m) | 1:59:08 |
| 22 | 5:41 | 9:10 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:04:50 |
| 23 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:10:31 |
| 24 | 5:43 | 9:11 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:16:13 |
| 25 | 5:42 | 9:10 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:21:55 |
| 26 | 5:40 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 2:27:36 |
| 27 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:33:18 |
| 28 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:38:59 |
| 29 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 2:44:46 |
| 30 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 2:50:26 |
| 31 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 2:56:11 |
| 32 | 5:49 | 9:22 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 3:02:00 |
| 33 | 6:04 | 9:46 | +37 ft (+11 m) | 3:08:04 |
| 34 | 5:24 | 8:42 | -32 ft (-10 m) | 3:13:29 |
| 35 | 5:30 | 8:51 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 3:18:59 |
| 36 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -2 ft (0 m) | 3:24:39 |
| 37 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:30:21 |
| 38 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:35:59 |
| 39 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:41:41 |
| 40 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 3:47:22 |
| 41 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:53:03 |
| 42 | 5:49 | 9:21 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 3:58:52 |
| 42.2 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Osaka Marathon flat or hilly?
The Osaka Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast (1/5 difficulty). Total ascent is about 240 ft (70 m) over 26.2 miles.
How much elevation gain does the Osaka Marathon have?
About 240 ft (70 m) of total ascent and 270 ft (80 m) of descent, for a net change of -36 ft (-11 m). Elevation is sampled from GSI DEM (Japan, 5 m) and smoothed over 500 m, so it will not match a GPS watch step for step.
What is the hardest part of the Osaka Marathon course?
Kilometre 32 (near mile 20) is the toughest split on the course by grade-adjusted effort. Grade-adjusted pace puts it at roughly 7% more effort than flat running. The steepest grade on course is 4.7%.
When is the Osaka Marathon?
The Osaka Marathon is typically held in late February. The next edition is expected around February 25, 2027. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Osaka Marathon?
The field is roughly 34,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Osaka Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Osaka race
Marathons with a similar profile
- Berlin Marathon — 230 ft (70 m) ascent
- Chicago Marathon — 230 ft (70 m) ascent
- Valencia Marathon — 260 ft (80 m) ascent
- Mesa Marathon — 260 ft (80 m) ascent
How Osaka Marathon ranks
- Flattest marathon courses — ranked 6 of 20 (240 ft (70 m) of climbing)
- Net-downhill marathon courses — ranked 13 of 13 (40 ft (10 m) net drop)
- Marathons with the hardest finish — ranked 7 of 10 (hardest at km 32 (mile 20) — 7% over flat effort)
- Biggest marathons by field size — ranked 9 of 20 (≈34,000 runners)
Official race site: https://osaka-marathon.com/