Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon

One of Japan's most prominent annual marathons, the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon is sponsored by Mainichi and takes place in Otsu, Shiga, near Lake Biwa. Held since 1946, it is Japan's oldest marathon and has been designated an IAAF Gold Label race. Racers start and end at the Ojiyama Stadium, and the current course record stands at a swift 2:06:13 hours, set by Wilson Kipsang in 2011. This male-only race has been selected as the Japanese national marathon championships on dozens of occasions.