Kujukuri Triathlon (99T)
Ichinomiya, Japan · September / October · Independent (Kujukuri Triathlon Executive Committee)
Why people love it
- Flat, straight toll-road bike and run, 40 km (24.9 mi) and 10 km (6.2 mi).
- The organiser pitches it at beginners and personal bests.
- Finish party with grilled clams and local food.
- A special bike train runs from Ryogoku in Tokyo to Kazusa-Ichinomiya on race day.
- Parking opens 05:30, check-in 06:00 and the Olympic starts at 09:00.
Watch out for
- No sprint distance is offered, only Olympic and Middle.
- Sea wind on the exposed coastal bike course.
- Typhoon season. The date moved from September to October.
- Sources disagree on estuary or open sea, and no wetsuit rule is published.
- Foreign entrants use a separate registration site. No athlete reviews exist, only organiser and press pages.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 30% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLiked3.4
Billed as one of Japan's largest beginner-friendly races with a festival finish, but all sources are organiser or press material. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.5
Six municipalities back it, with shuttle buses and a bike train. All detail comes from organiser material. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.7
The organiser calls it beginner-friendly, but a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) swim and 40 km (24.9 mi) bike are not a first-sprint step. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.9
Flat straight toll roads, with wind the main risk. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalCoin flip3.3
No rule is published. Early October sea water is probably 22 to 24 °C (72 to 75 °F). · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable3.5
No temperature is published. Early October water is probably 22 to 24 °C (72 to 75 °F). · Low confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm3.5
The organiser describes a protected estuary, a rail-company page says open sea, and typhoon season could add swell. · Low confidence
- Swim easeEasy3.6
Sheltered estuary per the organiser. · Low confidence
- Swim experienceFine3.2
Little is written about water clarity or scenery. · Low confidence
- Swim supportStandard3.2
One start per race for the whole field. Safety cover is not described. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceGood3.6
Toll road, likely smooth, but no one describes it. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed4.0
The toll road is closed for the race per the organiser. No athlete confirms it. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryPleasant3.0
Straight toll road near the coast. · Low confidence
- WindSome wind2.8
Sea winds are mentioned as a feature of the straight coastal course. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedFast4.0
Straight and flat, with exposure to sea wind. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessMostly flat4.3
Flat per the organiser. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicityMostly simple4.2
Straight with few curves. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportDecent3.1
Festival mood at the finish, but few spectators on the toll-road run. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.4
Run aid is not described. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryPleasant3.2
Beachside toll road. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsEasy3.5
Flat but exposed. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessMostly flat4.3
Flat per the organiser. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant3.9
Early October in Chiba is typically 17 to 26 °C (63 to 79 °F). · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Typhoon season. The date moved from late September in 2025 to 3 October in 2026. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyPleasant3.2
Long Pacific beach with surf along a developed coast. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.1
Food festival at the finish, but the toll-road course is hard to watch. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.9
Sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.5
Small seaside town. Tokyo lodging is 90 minutes away by car. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.4
No price information found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.0
Shuttle buses run from Kazusa-Ichinomiya station, and parking is for ticket holders only. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.2
About 90 minutes by car from Tokyo. Narita airport is roughly 50 km (31 mi) away. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.2
Foreign entrants use a separate registration site, and check-in is at 06:00. · Low confidence
- Town and foodFine3.2
Grilled clams and local food at the finish, in a small town. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Ichinomiya, Chiba, Japan
- Typical month
- September / October
- Latest or next date
- 3 October 2026
- Organiser
- Independent (Kujukuri Triathlon Executive Committee)
- Field size
- About 636 athletes
- First held
- 2014
- Distances
- 1.5 km (0.9 mi) swim, 40 km (24.9 mi) bike, 10 km (6.2 mi) run
- Cutoffs
- Finish 16:30 clock time for all races (7.5 h from the 9:00 start)
- Swim venue
- Estuary near Ichinomiya (organiser) or open sea off Kujukuri beach (JR East page); sources disagree (sea)
- Swim start
- mass (single start time per race)
- Run shade
- Not documented
- Air temperature
- 17–26 °C (63–79 °F)
- Humidity
- Humid, typhoon season
- Altitude
- 5 m (16 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Narita (NRT), 50 km (31 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Ichinomiya town, Tokyo
- Booking
- About 90 min by car from Tokyo; special bike train runs from Ryogoku to Kazusa-Ichinomiya on race day. Airport distance approximate.
What racers and reviewers say
- Race Roster: 2026 Kujukuri TriathlonRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Organiser listing for the 3 October 2026 edition: protected estuary swim, straight flat toll-road bike and run, called the perfect triathlon for beginners and for personal bests. Standard 9:00 start, 4:30 PM cut-off. Marketing text, not independent.
- JR East Media: Kujukuri Triathlon 2026Raced 2026 · article · Positive
Rail-company preview: four courses incl. a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) / 40 km (25 mi) / 10 km Standard, an open-sea swim, sea winds on the coast bike, a finish village with live music and grilled clams, and a special bike train from Ryogoku. Says it is backed by six municipalities.
- Iwafu: Kujukuri Triathlon 2026Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Event guide: about 1.5 h by car from Tokyo, shuttle buses from Kazusa-Ichinomiya station, parking for ticket holders only, straight low-curve bike course and flat beachside run; billed as Japan's largest and beginner-friendly.
- Spread Sports: Kujukuri Triathlon 2018Raced 2018 · article · Positive
Article on the 16 September 2018 Olympic-distance race, one of Japan's largest, with 636 competitors; a swimmer's first triathlon was the news hook. No course detail.
- Kyodo PR Wire: JOYFIT sponsors Kujukuri Triathlon 2025Raced 2025 · article · Positive
Press release on the 12th edition (first held 2014): festival-style, beginner-oriented, flat course, sponsor booths, local food and a 102-runner 10K alongside the triathlon run. Marketing source.
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Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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