Bank of China Beijing Marathon 2026

Bank of China Beijing Marathon 2026 is Beijing's flagship full marathon and is staged together with the 2026 National Marathon Championships. The race has a field of 32,000 and carries unusually deep historical significance: the first Beijing Marathon was held in 1981, making it China's first official marathon event. The current title sponsor describes the race as a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, while AIMS lists Beijing Marathon as a full member race.

The 42.195 km point-to-point course starts from the east side of Tian'anmen Square at 07:30 and finishes on Landscape Avenue in the central area of Beijing Olympic Park. It crosses Dongcheng, Xicheng, Haidian and Chaoyang districts, using major city roads including Chang'an Avenue before moving north through the university and Olympic areas. The official 2026 course map shows a broadly flat profile, with timing points, medical posts, toilets, spray stations, refreshments and drinking-water points distributed along the route.

Mass runners complete roll call between 05:30 and 07:10. Corrals are assigned according to previous race performance, but all athletes use a single gun start. Chip timing is built into the bib, with timing carpets at the start, every 5 km, the half-marathon mark, turning points and the finish. The overall finish cut-off is 13:30, six hours after the start, with intermediate cut-offs from 5 km onward. Runners who miss a cut-off must leave the course and can use sweep buses or public transport to reach the finish area.

Public registration ran from 17 to 22 September 2026 and uses a lottery if applications exceed capacity. Mass participants must be at least 20 during 2026 and must show either one marathon result or two half-marathon results from the preceding 24 months. Lottery results and payment instructions are scheduled for late September to early October.

Race-day baggage is optional. Athletes using the service must deposit the official transparent bag before 07:15 and collect it at the finish by 14:30; runners who opt out are offered souvenir supplies. Race-pack collection is in person only, with identity verification and a signed participation commitment required. The organiser has not yet published the exact 2026 collection dates or venue.