Event Concept

From the disaster to the recovery and up to the present,I would like to express my gratitude to the people and communities both in Japan and abroad who have reached out to me.

The Kobe Marathon, with its theme of "Thanks & Thanks＆Friendship ," is not only about "running for yourself," but also about...
More than anything, we aim to run marathons "for the people." At the heart of this concept is a sense of "companionship" and "community."

The efforts to continue sharing the creative reconstruction efforts of Hyogo and Kobe, and the experiences and lessons learned from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, with disaster victims around the world,
This is an action taken to cherish the sentiments that have been passed down through generations and to ensure they are passed on to the next generation.
At its core, this philosophy is based on the idea that all people are companions, and that we share both joy and sorrow.

Furthermore, the desire to welcome visitors to Hyogo and Kobe stems from a sense of "companionship" and "community." In addition, marathons have an aspect where "runners" and "spectators" share the joy of completing the race and achieving their goals. Strangers can become friends. We want to amplify this power of marathons even further and continue to send encouragement to people and regions severely affected by disasters.

Even now, more than 30 years after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the events of that day remain deeply etched in the memories of many. The KOBE MARATHON 2026 will serve as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the earthquake, a place to reflect on the progress towards recovery, a place to weave hope for the future, and a place to pass on the experience of the earthquake to the next generation, further strengthening the bonds of our community.

I believe that the sight of runners striving to cross the finish line as symbols of hope will give courage and energy to many people.

KOBE MARATHON and the journeys of its runners.
This year's tournament visual expresses the accumulation of those challenges through a single, continuous line.

Concept movie