The Shonan International Marathon will hold its fifth edition with a hydration system that eliminates single-use cups and plastic bottles when about 26,000 runners take to the streets of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on December 6.
Introduced in 2022, the “My Bottle, My Cup” initiative requires participants to carry their own bottles or cups and refill them at roughly 200 stations along the 42.195-kilometre course.
Instead of conventional aid stations spaced several kilometres apart, refill points are placed about every 200 metres, with some exceptions. The aim is to turn the entire course into a continuous hydration zone, so runners can drink when they need to rather than waiting for the next scheduled stop.
Organizers say the approach reduces environmental impact without compromising runner comfort, safety or access to water.
Waste cut by 76 per cent
Organizers have refined the system every year, adjusting refill-point locations, water volumes and pre-race instructions to help runners adapt. Total event waste has fallen by approximately 76 per cent compared with levels before the initiative began.
Runner support has grown alongside it. In event surveys, 86 per cent of participants backed continuing the initiative in 2022, its first year. By 2025, that figure had reached 95.5 per cent.
Refill points are supplied by stainless-steel jugs, returnable bottles and water tanks.
Recognized for design
The initiative received a 2026 Good Design Award in Japan, which honours the design of the hydration system itself as well as its environmental goals. The award recognizes how personal bottles and cups, refill equipment and course-wide hydration operations work together as a single system, balancing sustainability with the practical demands of a mass-participation event.
About the race
The Shonan International Marathon runs along the coastline of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, with views of Mount Fuji. The main venue is the Oiso Prince Hotel, and the event is accessible from Tokyo.
The 21st edition takes place on Sunday, December 6, 2026, with approximately 26,000 participants expected across the full marathon, 10-kilometre race and other events.
Organizers welcome international media to cover the event and see how a large-scale marathon operates without single-use cups and plastic bottles at its hydration stations.
Event details
| FAQs | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | 21st Shonan International Marathon |
| Date | Sunday, December 6, 2026 |
| Location | Shonan, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Main venue | Oiso Prince Hotel |
| Expected participation | Approximately 26,000 |
| Events | Full marathon, 10 km and others |
| Hydration system | My Bottle, My Cup |
| Refill stations | Approximately 200 |
| Initiative introduced | 2022 |
| Event website | https://www.shonan-kokusai.jp/overseas |
Event website: https://www.shonan-kokusai.jp/overseas
