Huangshi Marathon 2026

The 2026 Huangshi Marathon is the tenth-anniversary edition of Huangshi's established road race and the first to expand from a half marathon into a full 42.195 km marathon. The event takes place on 22 November 2026 and is planned for 15,000 runners, comprising 3,000 marathon places and 12,000 half-marathon places.

Both races start at Huangshi People's Square. The marathon runs through central Huangshi and the Cihu Lake corridor, crosses Cihu Bridge, continues through Jinshan Tunnel and the Olympic Sports precinct, and finishes at Huangshi Olympic Sports Center. The half marathon follows the established urban and lakeside course before finishing on Hangzhou West Road. The event is known locally for a relatively flat, flowing course that has developed a strong reputation among runners targeting personal bests.

The Huangshi event has steadily increased in stature. The half-marathon edition became a World Athletics Label road race in 2023 and reached Elite Label status in 2024. The 2026 expansion adds the full marathon for the first time while retaining the race's established Cihu course identity.

Pre-registration and payment opened on 23 September and closes at 18:00 China Standard Time on 22 October. If applications exceed capacity, places will be allocated by ballot in late October and unsuccessful applicants will receive a full refund. Limited direct-entry allocations are also available for eligible runners from Jiangsu, Yongzhou and Jiujiang.

Prize money is offered to the top eight men and women in both distances. Additional performance bonuses are available for runners who break specified time standards, and a separate Huangshi resident award is planned. Eligible finishers receive a finisher medal and can download their result certificate after the race. Exact race-pack collection arrangements have not yet been published, so runners should check the official event channels closer to race week.