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2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon race photo

2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

CNDec 27, 202621.1km
Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0
Race date in 78 days
Dec 27, 2026 Sun
City · Distance
Genhe · 21.1km
Entry fee
Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 10, 2026
2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon race photo
Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0
About the raceHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

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

A “cold pole” half marathon in Genhe, Inner Mongolia, the coldest place in mainland China.

Starting from an Ewenki reindeer settlement and finishing at a wetland park, it takes runners through extremes of −20 to −50°C.

Limited to 1,500 runners, it is China’s harshest winter race, where the cold itself is the event.

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.

2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

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

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

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

中国冷极马拉松开跑

中国新闻社

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 enter 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon — registration routes

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.

From the 2025 edition

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

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon course map and elevation

Your 21.1km

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

From the 2025 edition
City center · not the start line

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

START

呼伦贝尔市根河市

FINISH

Genhe Source National Wetland Park Visitor Center

Show more

'China Cold Pole Marathon' is held in Genhe, widely regarded as the coldest region in mainland China, just as its name suggests.

The half marathon is set in front of the Reindeer Culture Museum at the Aoluguya Reindeer Tribe,

a tourist site preserving the Ewenki people's traditional reindeer-herding culture.

The start line follows the urban ring slow-traffic system after passing Cold Pole Tower and Yingbin Bridge,

then enters through the main gate of Genheyuan National Wetland Park before reaching the finish at the park's visitor center.

Running through scenery combining coniferous forests, reindeer pastures and wetlands is what gives this race its distinctive identity.

Field size
1,500 runners (half marathon 1,000 + Fun Run 500, based on the previous year)
Grade
CAA Grade C
Typical race-season temperature: around -24°C (-12°F)
Cold-weather gear — gloves, beanie, layers

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

Where and when to collect your 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon race bib

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

Participant Packet Pickup pickup information has not yet been announced.
Chinese races typically announce the pickup location and time through their official WeChat account 1–2 weeks before the race; participants generally must bring their own ID, and proxy pickup is not permitted.

Stations & transport near the venue

  • Getting to the startNo train/subway station near start; remote village area served by 牙林铁路 (Yalin Railway) and 敖鲁古雅通用机场…

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No train/subway station near start; remote village area served by 牙林铁路 (Yalin Railway) and 敖鲁古雅通用机场 (general aviation airport)

Per prior edition (11th, 2024): start at 敖鲁古雅使鹿部落景区驯鹿文化博物馆 (Aoluguya Reindeer Culture Museum) in Genhe. No walkable public transit from a station to this point; runners typically arrive by chartered/private vehicle from Hailar.

Remote Inner Mongolia venue with no nearby train/subway station; route/venue details are per the 2024 edition.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start — no rail/subway station nearby

Per prior edition (2024): finish at 根河源国家湿地公园游客中心 (Genhe Source Wetland Park visitor center).

Map
Source · checked Aug 22, 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.

Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis from mid-October to early December (as of the previous year).

The field is capped at a total of 1,500 runners: 1,000 for the half marathon (600 men, 400 women) and 500 for the fun run.

The race runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on a Sunday in late December.

Genhe is considered one of the coldest regions in China,

with a freezing period of over 210 days and winter temperatures dropping to around -20°C to -50°C (the record low is -58°C).

Cold-weather gear is essential;

based on the previous edition, the organizing committee covered participants' lodging and meals,

but round-trip transportation was each runner's own responsibility.

Times are local to Genhe. 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 easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on mapEating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on mapSeeing Genhe with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

Total cost and budget for 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · Trip.comFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Genhe runners' room

Frequently asked questions about 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon

FAQ
When does 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon take place?

It takes place on Sun, December 27, 2026 in Genhe, China.

What distances does 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon offer?

Half. (From the 2025 edition)

Where does 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon start?

In front of the Reindeer Culture Museum at the Aoluguya Reindeer Tribe.

(From the 2025 edition)

Where does 2026 “China Cold Pole”Half Marathon finish?

Genhe Source National Wetland Park Visitor Center. (From the 2025 edition)

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