Hokusho Road Race Tournament - A citizens' marathon running through the countryside of Hokkaido (Hokuryu Town)

table of contents

1 What is the Hokusho Road Race Tournament?
2 Events
3 Tournament course
4 Tournament overview
5 Latest Articles
6 Related articles
- 6.1 Feature Articles
7 Reference information: Half marathon course map
8 Tournament course

What is the Hokusho Road Race Tournament?

The Kitasho Road Race Tournament began in 1965 (Showa 40).
It started with the desire of Yoshio Komatsu, then chairman of the Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce, to "inspire young people to dream through a marathon event."

The name "Hokusho" comes from the fact that the original organizer was the Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the abbreviation for the organization was used. Currently, since 2002, the event has been hosted by the Hokuryu Town Athletic Association, but the name has been preserved in order to respect the origins of the event.
At the time, the course was approximately 16km long, running from Hokuryu Town through Imobeushi Town and Chishibetsu Town. Later, the course was changed to run along National Route 275 and turn around in Numata Town, and in 1973 (Showa 48), it became a certified course by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. Runners from all over the country gathered, and 500 people participated in the 1995 (Heisei 7) event.

However, in 2003, due to traffic safety concerns, the course was changed to Sunflower Village, and the event was transformed into a citizen's marathon that runs through Sunflower Village and rural areas.

In 2014 (Heisei 26), the event celebrated its 50th anniversary, with 480 participants from all over the country. The prize was a "Sunflower rice "Yumepirika"" 10kg.

Starting with the 51st race in 2015, timing chips have been used, and we are also focusing on our timing system.

Starting with the 53rd race in 2017 (Heisei 29), a half marathon, elementary school division, and junior high school division were added.

Starting with the 59th race in 2023 (Reiwa 5), the half marathon will be eliminated and the competition events will be 10km, 5km, 3km, 2km and parent-child pairs.

Starting with the 61st race in 2025 (Reiwa 7), the competition events will be 10km, 5km, 3km, and 3km parent-child pairs.

This is an exhilarating race in which participants run through the land of Hokuryu, Japan's rice-producing region, breathing in the Hokkaido early autumn breeze.

Events

Event	Eligibility	Start time	60th (2024) result・1st place
10km	General public (high school students and above)	9:00 start	・Boys 32:24 Women's 36:53
5km	General public (high school students and above) Junior high school boys and girls	9:00 start	・Boys 16:20 ・Women's 19:17 ・Boys 17:51 ・Women's 21:11
3km	General public (high school students and above) Elementary school boys and girls	09:10 Start	・Boys 10:07 Women's 11:34 ・Boys 11:11 Women's 11:56
2km parent-child pair	Parents and grandparents Children under the third grade of elementary school	09:10 Start	Parent-child pair 13:43

* All events except for the 3km pairThe total capacity is expected to be 300 people.Applications will be closed once the capacity is reached (from the 59th event in 2023 onwards).

※ Time limit: 2 hours (from the starting gun)
Competitors who exceed the time limit may be asked to stop the race. In that case, please follow the instructions of the race staff and get back into your car.

Tournament course

Kitasho Road Race Tournament Cause (59th, 2023 and beyond)

Kitasho Road Race Course (59th, 2023 and beyond)

Hokusho Road Race Course

Google Maps here >>Kitasho Road Race Tournament Cause (59th, 2023 and beyond)

Tournament overview

Tournament Name	Hokusho Road Race Tournament
Venue	Hokuryu Town, Uryu District, Hokkaido (map）
On-site registration and starting point	Sunflower Village, Itaya, Hokuryu Town, Uryu District, Hokkaido [On the day] Reception: 6:30-8:00 Opening Ceremony: 8:20 Start: 9:00 (10km/5km) 09:10 (3km/2km pair)
Organizer/Secretariat	▶ Organizer:Hokuryu Town Sports Association (Chairman: Hikaru Tanimoto) Hokuryu Town Construction Division, 11-1 Wa, Hokuryu Town, Uryu District, Hokkaido (Postal code: 078-2512) Tel: 0164-34-7034 Fax: 0164-34-2118 ▶ Sponsored by:Hokuryu Town Chamber of Commerce・Hokuryu Town・Hokuryu Town Board of Education・Hokuryu Town Sunflower Tourism Association・JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch
Course characteristics and weather	▶ Course Features ・This is a farm road course in the countryside of Hokuryu Town, a rice-producing region of Japan. ・Except for agricultural vehicles, there are few cars on this asphalt course, so it is free from exhaust fumes. ・Unfortunately, the sunflowers at Sunflower Village have already passed their peak blooming season and some areas have withered. ・There are some ups and downs on the course ▶ weather ・Last August 2024 (31 days)Weather records (minimum and maximum temperatures, etc.) can be found here >>
water supply	6 locations
Recording and Measurement	Chip measurement (adopted from the 51st race)
Award	・Top 4 in each category (Prizes include 5kg-10kg of Hokuryu Town rice) ・Awards will be given to the top three places in the elementary and junior high school divisions
Participation Prize	・A commemorative T-shirt will be presented ・Elementary and junior high school students (regardless of the event they participate in) and elementary school parent-child pairs will receive a book voucher. ・Completion certificate * It will be enclosed with your race number. * A "record list" will be posted after the competition is over.
Drinks and snacks (shop)	[Himawari Tourist Center (large covered facility)] Shops inside (approximately 4-5 stores) 143-2 Itaya, Hokuryu-cho, Uryu-gun, Hokkaido (map）（Sunflower FestivalOpen during the event)
toilet	Next to Himawari Tourist Center ・Available 24 hours a day (wheelchair-accessible toilet)
parking	・Passenger cars: 500 (large buses and campers allowed) Parking fee: Standard vehicle: 500 yen Motorcycles: 100 yen Large buses and campers (over 6m)... 2,000 yen (Free for Hokuryu residents)
Natural hot springs, restaurants and hotels	Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen ・1.4km north from Himawari no Sato, about 3 minutes by car ・Nearby restaurants >>
access	Access to Himawari no SatoPlease refer to
Event details