PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONCN / RACE GUIDE

ChangZhou West Taihu Lake Half Marathon

Name: 2022常州西太湖半程马拉松集锦
Uploaded: 2023-03-31
Description: This half marathon starts at Huaboyuan in Changzhou’s Xitaihu area and follows a lakeside route. With half marathon 15,000 runners and 5,000 mini-runners, entries are allocated by lottery if demand ex

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Changzhou
CN

Chen Yihan · CC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons · Aangkianghai, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · 猫猫的日记本, CC BY-SA 3.0Chen Yihan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsSlyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsSlyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Race date in 26 days: Nov 1, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: Changzhou · 21.1km
Entry fee: Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
Status: ClosedThu, August 27, 2026 ~ Tue, September 22, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 6, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This half marathon starts at Huaboyuan in Changzhou’s Xitaihu area and follows a lakeside route.

With half marathon 15,000 runners and 5,000 mini-runners, entries are allocated by lottery if demand exceeds capacity.

It is Changzhou’s signature autumn half marathon, combining the flower expo grounds with the lake loop road.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

戴勤Ran in 2016 · Finish time 1:04:06

“On November 13, I finished safely as I'd hoped, earned the 10km finisher medal, and clocked a net time of 1 hour 4 minutes 6 seconds.”

Dai Qin finished the 10km event at the 2016 Changzhou West Taihu half marathon in 1 hour 4 minutes 6 seconds, receiving a first race finisher medal. A daughter's advice on gear and training supported the preparation, before later challenges extended to the half marathon and full marathon.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

11月13日，我如愿安全完赛，摘得10公里项目奖牌，净时间01：04：06。

Read the original on 爱燃烧 · Helen runner

跑汉小夫子Finish time 1:45:03

“I was thrilled when the Xitaihu organizers called. Excited but nervous and feeling the pressure, I quickly studied up so I'd be well prepared for race day.”

At the Changzhou Xitaihu half marathon, Paohan Xiaofuzi nervously prepared for a first assignment as an official pacer. With help from an experienced teammate, Paohan shared water and fuel, led runners at a steady speed, and completed the assignment in 1 hour 45 minutes 3 seconds.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

接到西太湖赛事组委会的电话，开心的像个三百斤的胖子，开心的同时即忐忑又新奇，自己也压力山大，赶紧恶补知识想在赛前做足功课。

Read the original on 咕咚

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Finisher vlog

yang liu (run to travel) · Finisher vlog

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Registration history

The 2026 race opened entry on Thu, August 27, 2026

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

The 21.1km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Event	Field size
Half21.0975km	20,000

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Changzhou

FINISH

Changzhou Wujin West Taihu Flower Expo Garden North Gate

Starting from the north gate of Hwabowon, go around Huwanbuk-ro, Hyangyang-ro, Ramwol-ro (return), Gaseong-ro, and Hwahwa-daero and enter the same place.

Both the start and finish are held around the north gate of Shitaihu Huaboyuan.

Half marathon starts at the north gate, follows Huanhu North Road, and turns around where it meets Huanhu East Road.

It then turns left onto the south-side ramp of Xihuxi Road, joins Xihuxi Road, turns right onto Lanyue Road,

passes Xihu Road, and returns to Lanyue Road before turning right onto Jiacheng Road and reaching finish on Huahui Avenue.

The Mini Run course starts at the same north gate, follows Huanhu North Road, Fengze Road, Yuge Road, Yunshan Road,

and Lanyue Road in sequence, then finishes at the Huaboyuan Science and Technology Museum via the internal roads of Huaboyuan.

Field size: 20,000 people
Grade: CAA Grade A
Organizer: Wujin District People's Government, Changzhou Sports Bureau
Typical race-season temperature: around 11°C (53°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Medical support

Finisher medal

Bag drop

From the most recent edition

Finisher certificate 2025

Event T-shirt 2025

Finisher medal 2025

This may change for the next edition.

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

The information for the competition on November 1, 2026 (bib·Participation Packet Pickup) has not yet been released.
It will be announced on the official site and in an official WeChat announcement, and the required documents, proxy pickup, and same-day pickup are all unconfirmed.

Stations & transport near the venue

Use Alipay or WeChat Pay's Transport/Ride QR Code (乘车码), linked to your foreign Visa/Mastercard, for both the metro and buses — a foreign-issued contactless EMV bank card does not tap directly on Changzhou's gates.

Getting to the start

常州武进西太湖花博园北门 (West Taihu Lake Flower Expo Park, North Gate), Wujin District, Changzhou — no rail at the venue; nearest metro tie-in (per 2023 edition) is Changzhou Metro Line 1's 科教城北站 (Kejiao City North Station)

Official site (czxthmls.com) had an expired SSL cert, couldn't be fetched — 2026 specifics not directly confirmed.

2025 edition (held 2025-10-26, 07:30 start) began at this same north gate.

Getting to the finish

花卉大道 (Flower Avenue) within the West Taihu tourism/Flower Expo area (2025 course); 2023 edition finished inside Flower Expo Park itself — same general venue cluster

Per 2023 edition: runners with bibs rode all city buses/metro free during the event period;

afternoon return shuttles ran 10:30-11:30 back to city-park pickup points.

More details

Per 2023 edition (official traffic notice): 7 dedicated shuttle bus lines from city parks (Zijing, Qingfeng, Jingchuan, Hongmei, Xiedun, Changzhou Olympic Center, Hutang district),

morning pickups 06:30-07:05;

Metro Line 1's Kejiao City North Station also had a dedicated shuttle 06:00-07:30.

Self-driving runners directed to Wangjia Bridge, Gaize Town parking areas.

IC card

Changzhou Citizen Card (常州市民卡) / Longcheng Pass (龙城通卡)

Changzhou Municipal Government Service Center (New North District) or the Jiangnan Shopping Mall service counter — in-person application, ¥20 card fee

Not accepted at the gates — get the local card above

More details

Metro fares start at ¥2 for the first 5km, rising in steps to ¥6+ for longer trips;

trains run roughly 06:30-22:00.

Single-journey tickets are available at station vending machines paid by cash or phone QR.

Buses use the same Transport QR code as the metro.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The race was first held in 2014 and has taken place every year at Shitaihu Baowuyuan.

Created for a horticultural exposition, the park is encircled by Huanhulu,

and course follows the lakeshore for most of its distance, offering lake views through much of the course.

Changzhou lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze, between Nanjing to the west and Wuxi to the east, with Zhejiang province to the south.

It is also the hometown of Zhou Youguang, who helped develop Hanyu Pinyin.

Times are local to Changzhou. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels that make race morning easy

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Changzhou Marriott Hotel

Hotel · 874m

9.0/10(83)

View on Booking.com

Holiday Inn Express Changzhou Xinbei, An Ihg Hotel

Hotel · 1.9km

8.9/10(12)

View on Booking.com

Sheraton Changzhou Xinbei Hotel

Hotel · 3.0km

8.7/10(63)

View on Booking.com

Holiday Inn Express Changzhou Center, An Ihg Hotel

Hotel · 2.1km

8.1/10(16)

View on Booking.com

Atour Hotel Dinosaur Park Changzhou

Hotel · 2.0km

View on Booking.com

Crystal Orange Hotel Changzhou Dinosaurs Park

Hotel · 2.9km

View on Booking.com

Jinjiang Inn Changzhou Global Dinosaur City Olympic Center

Hotel · 590m

View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

37 experiences

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

RECOVERY & SPA3SIT-DOWN TOURS6CARB LOADING7LOCAL TRANSIT6FAMILY PASS7CITY TOURS7EASY WALKING1

Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat Suzhou Center

₩35,131

ChangZhou West Taihu Lake Half Marathon

About ChangZhou West Taihu Lake Half Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run