Qingdao (SCODA) Jiaozhou Bay Bridge Marathon 2026

The 2026 Qingdao (SCODA) Jiaozhou Bay Bridge Marathon marks the return of the race widely known by local runners as the Qingdao Sea Marathon after several years away. The event uses Qingdao’s 42.23-kilometre Jiaozhou Bay Bridge as its defining feature, creating an unusually exposed sea-crossing road race with broad views across the bay. Organisers expect 20,000 runners, with 5,000 places allocated to the marathon field and 15,000 to the half marathon.

Both races start and finish at the Qingdao SCODA Pearl International Expo Center in Jiaozhou and are scheduled to begin at 08:30 local time. From the expo centre, runners head along Changjiang Road, Ecological Avenue and Xiangjiang Road before turning onto the expressway section of Jiaozhou Bay Bridge. Each course reaches its designated bridge turnaround before returning by the same corridor to the expo centre. The format makes the bridge itself a substantial part of race day rather than simply a landmark passed en route.

Public registration ran from 26 August to 17 September 2026 and used a ballot when applications exceeded capacity, with results announced on 22 September and unsuccessful applicants refunded. The published entry rules set a minimum age of 20 for the marathon and 18 for the half marathon. Runners are also expected to assess their health carefully before entering; the organiser’s guidance specifically recommends formal medical checks for long-distance participation and additional consent requirements for entrants aged over 65.

The event is hosted by the SCODA Administrative Committee, Qingdao Sports Bureau and Jiaozhou City Government. Final race-pack collection arrangements, detailed cut-off tables and the full race-day service programme had not been published in the web-accessible organiser material checked for this ARC entry, so runners should use the official Qingdao Marathon Events channels for the latest operational notices.