[2] The course has a point-to-point style and it has received accreditation from the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and AIMS.

[3] Francis Kibiwott and Alevtina Ivanova are the current men's and women's course record holders.

[4] The current route is relatively flat, however, with the race having an overall total incline of 5 m from start to finish.

The elite race is international in nature, with a number of foreign runners being invited each year, although prominent Japanese athletes also take part.

Since its rebirth in 1999, only two Japanese runners have won the race (Akiyo Onishi in 1999 and Yuki Kawauchi in 2013).