On February 15, 2026, the Kyoto Marathon 2026, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., was held in Kyoto City. Approximately 16,000 runners from around the world ran through the city in warm weather, with a maximum temperature of 18.8°C, similar to early April. Family and friends cheered at the top of their lungs from the roadside to encourage the runners as they grew tired toward the end of the race, and celebrities also ran alongside to add to the excitement.
About 29 kilometers from the starting point, on the riverbank of Kitaoji Bridge (Kita Ward, Kyoto City), there was an interaction zone for runners and spectators, where approximately 200 people cheered on the runners with shouts of "Fight!" and "Do your best!" for over two hours. Runners exchanged high-fives one after another, shouting "thank you." A 10-year-old fourth-grade boy made a fan with the name of his participating homeroom teacher on it to support the runners. "High-fiving hundreds of people gave me energy," he said.
At the finish line in front of Heian Shrine (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City), watched by a large crowd of spectators, runners could be seen raising their arms in celebration of having completed the race. A 50-year-old real estate company president who finished in under the target time of three and a half hours said with a smile, "I enjoyed looking at the tourist spots, and I was able to endure the steep uphill climbs."
