Jiande Marathon 2026 - Zhejiang, China

The 2026 Jiande Marathon returns to Jiande, a riverside city in the Hangzhou region of Zhejiang, on Sunday 15 November 2026. This eighth edition has a 10,000-runner field: 2,000 full-marathon entries and 8,000 half-marathon places. The race is organised by Jiande Municipal People's Government and the Zhejiang Marathon and Road Running Association, with certification by the Chinese Athletics Association. The event theme highlights the fresh air and river scenery of the Xin'an River valley.

Course and race-day arrangements

Both races start outside Jiande Museum, 118-16 Jiangbin Middle Road. The marathon begins at 07:30 and returns to the museum to finish. The half marathon starts at 07:37, follows the opening riverside roads and then finishes at Shuangjiang Street, not back at the museum. Plan transport and any meeting point with supporters around your particular category's finish. The routes pass the Xin'an River waterfront, Zijin Bridge, the Nongfu Spring facility area and the Xin'an Greenway. The full course extends through the Yangxi Bridge area and other city riverbanks before looping back towards the museum. Final road restrictions and transport arrangements should be checked through the official athlete guide.

The organiser advertises a six-hour full-marathon limit and three-hour half-marathon limit. Chip timing is used, with start and intermediate mats. Water or sports-drink stations begin around kilometre 5 and generally recur about every 2.5 km, with food/energy stations advertised from around kilometre 10. Race-day bag deposit closes 15 minutes before the applicable start, and bags must be collected by 14:00; late collection is governed by the organiser's five-day retrieval policy.

Eligibility and participant rules

Full-marathon entrants must turn 20 during 2026 (born no later than 31 December 2006); half-marathon entrants must turn 18 during 2026 (born no later than 31 December 2008). The organiser also requires proof of recent race experience: for the marathon, one full marathon or two half-marathons within 24 months before the entry closing date; for the half marathon, two races of at least 10 km in that period. Appropriate official results evidence is required. Competitors should review the event's medical advice and race regulations before participating.

Public registration is closed. Official entries opened 2 September and closed on 30 September 2026 at 18:00 China time, or earlier if capacity was reached; the authorised Zuicool registration partner currently also marks both distances closed. Paid registration is non-refundable for entrants who subsequently cannot participate. Do not confuse later team-formation dates with an extended general-entry window.

Collection and race-week activities

The official rules schedule race-pack collection at Jiande Museum on Friday 13 November, 13:00–19:00, and Saturday 14 November, 09:00–19:00. Bring valid identification; the regulations do not permit proxy collection. The organiser asks runners to watch for further pickup instructions. A runners' night, birthday celebration and local-market events are also planned on 14 November.

The 2026 prize programme includes overall awards for the top six men and women in each distance, local-Jiande awards, a team competition and bonuses for course records, with the advertised combined prize pool around CNY 315,700. The 2026 organising committee also promotes participating runners' local tourism and accommodation offers; verify the designated attractions, discounts and eligibility before travelling.

Official information: 2026 competition regulations, race website, and officially linked Zuicool registration. The venue map coordinate identifies the museum vicinity rather than a surveyed timing-mat position.