Event Detail
The Lanzhou Marathon 2027 is scheduled for Sunday, 23 May 2027 in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, following a formal announcement by the race organising committee on 12 June 2026. This long-established major Chinese road race is known for its Yellow River setting, energetic roadside support and a route through the city's riverside scenery. The inaugural event was staged in 2011.
Confirmed 2027 programme
The Lanzhou Municipal Sports Bureau announced an enlarged field of 36,000 runners for 2027, comprising 27,000 marathon places (42.195 km) and 9,000 half-marathon places (21.0975 km). That is 3,000 more places than the preceding edition. The announced expansion applies to these two competitive distances; do not assume that a 5K, family run or other race category is offered in 2027 until published by the organiser.
Lanzhou's established race corridor follows the Yellow River scenic route, connecting a city landscape associated with Zhongshan Bridge, the riverside parks and landmarks such as the Yellow River Mother sculpture. The city's approximate elevation of 1,520 metres makes it a different running environment from sea-level marathons, although the official 2027 course, elevation profile, road closures and aid-station plan have not yet been published. Maps from earlier editions should not be treated as final for 2027.
Registration and important uncertainties
As at 26 October 2026, the organiser had confirmed the event date and expanded distance allocations, but had not published the 2027 registration opening and closing dates, lottery conditions, entry fees, qualifying standards, start/finish point or individual flag-off times. Registration must not be represented as open. Use the official organiser's website and announcements for those details before making travel or payment commitments.
Calendar time notice: ARC currently stores 00:00 local time solely as a date placeholder, because the organiser has not announced a 2027 start time. This is not a midnight race or confirmed flag-off. Likewise, the map coordinates identify Lanzhou generally, not a confirmed 2027 starting gate.
The race is listed by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). The organiser has previously held international and national race labels; any certification applicable to the 2027 edition should be checked when final technical rules are released.
Current-edition verification: The June 2026 organising-committee announcement and August 2026 municipal sports bureau update were reported by Gansu Daily and the Gansu Economic Daily. AIMS independently lists 23 May 2027.