Race Categories
Event Detail
Yantai Marathon 2026 returns to the Yellow Sea coast in Shandong on Sunday 1 November 2026. The Yantai Municipal Sports Bureau's 16 October 2026 notice confirms the revised autumn date, a 7:30 am China Standard Time start, and a combined capacity of 22,000 runners: 7,000 for the full marathon and 15,000 for the half marathon. This is a point-to-point coastal road race, starting at Binhai Square (滨海广场) and finishing at Yantai Sports Park (烟台市体育公园).
Coastal courses
- 42.195 km marathon: from Binhai Square along Binhai North Road, Binhai Middle Road and Binhai East Road; turn approximately 600 metres beyond the junction with Dongguan Road before returning via the coastal roads to Yantai Sports Park.
- 21.0975 km half marathon: shares the waterfront approach, turns about 150 metres east of the Yantai Natural History Museum, then follows Binhai East and Binhai Middle roads to Yantai Sports Park.
Both routes take runners beside Yantai's sea-facing boulevards. The 2026 municipal notice describes proposed Chinese Athletics Association certification; it does not establish that final certification has already been awarded. Check official pre-race communications for course changes, corral assignments, cut-offs, road closures and transfer arrangements between the start and finish.
Registration and lottery
Public pre-registration ran from 20 May at 13:14 to 20 June 2026, followed by a ballot. Ballot results were scheduled for 30 June, with successful applicants required to pay by 7 July. An additional waiting-list ballot was expected to be announced on 15 July. The current 2026 event listing marks registration as closed. Entry fees were CNY 200 for the marathon and CNY 160 for the half marathon. This is not a walk-up registration event; runners should not assume new entries remain available.
Preparing for race day
The organiser's official race-pack collection times, medical and eligibility rules, final start logistics and detailed award arrangements should be checked against its latest participant guide, rather than relying on information from past editions. The venue map pin is for Binhai Square, while the separate finish lies farther east at Yantai Sports Park. All times are China Standard Time (UTC+08:00).
Sources: Yantai Municipal Sports Bureau notice, 16 October 2026; 2026 event and registration listing.