Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum Marathon Chiayi 2026

The eighth Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum Marathon, also known as 2026第八屆故宮南院馬拉松, takes place on Sunday 6 December 2026 at the National Palace Museum's Southern Branch in Taibao, Chiayi County, Taiwan. This is an established road-running festival around a major cultural destination rather than a conventional city-centre marathon. The museum's distinctive architecture, landscaped gardens and lake make the venue a highlight for visitors as well as local runners.

Official race-day schedule

The 42.195K marathon starts at 6:30 am, the 21K half marathon at 6:40 am, the 10.7K challenge run at 6:50 am, the 7K health run at 7:00 am, and both the 3K leisure run and 3K walk at 7:10 am. The organiser gives a total capacity of 8,000 participants across the six categories. Note that the challenge race is 10.7K, although some directories round it to 11K.

Race cut-offs are seven hours for the marathon, four hours for the half, three hours for the 10.7K and two hours for the 7K and 3K categories. Runner assembly and bag-drop services begin at 5:45 am, ahead of a 6:00 am opening ceremony and 6:15 am warm-up. The organiser lists a 1:30 pm conclusion for the full marathon.

Venue and access

Race activities use the museum's northern Festival Garden, North Steps Plaza and surrounding lawns at No. 888 Gugong Boulevard, Taibao. The course showcases the outdoor cultural precinct; runners should refer to the race organiser's final maps and notices for exact turns, parking, transport and any local restrictions. Displayed coordinates identify the museum complex rather than the precise start gantry.

Entry status and race packs

Registration for the 2026 on-site event is closed. Published base fees range from NT$700 for the 3K to NT$1,300 for the full marathon, with additional NT$100 timing-chip deposits, online processing and postage charges. The organiser says domestic entrants' bibs and race materials are sent one to two weeks before race day, and there is no routine same-day registration or collection. Overseas participants have separate race-day check-in arrangements described in the official rules.

The official programme includes commemorative jackets and finisher gifts such as a themed medal, souvenir towel and woven tote. Full marathon eligibility begins at age 18; half-marathon eligibility begins at age 15. Specific child-supervision rules apply to shorter categories. The 42K and 21K races feature overall and age-group classifications, with convenience-store vouchers and trophies for leading finishers.

This is the physical 6 December marathon. The organiser also advertises a separate virtual museum marathon, which should not be confused with the in-person race. Check the organiser's live page before travel for final instructions.