PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONCN / RACE GUIDE

Guangzhou Marathon

Name: Guangzhou Marathon
Uploaded: 2015-11-12
Description: Start line is Tianhe Stadium, and finish is Huacheng Square. In between, course runs mostly along both banks of the Pearl River. It is a World Athletics Gold Label race. Held every December since its

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Guangzhou
CN

Tim Wu · CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · Tim Wu, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · William Alen, CC BY 3.0Zhangzhugang · CC BY-SA 3.0Zhangzhugang · CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date in 71 days: Dec 20, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: Guangzhou · 42.195km
Entry fee: CN¥160Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedWed, September 2, 2026 ~ Fri, September 11, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 10, 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.

Start line is Tianhe Stadium, and finish is Huacheng Square.

In between, course runs mostly along both banks of the Pearl River.

It is a World Athletics Gold Label race.

Held every December since its launch in 2012, it features only full marathon.

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 runners who've been there.

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

Race reports: 3

みつ君（三橋）Ran in 2024 · Finish time 3:27:46

“I also finished without walking full marathon for the first time.”

Mitsu-kun aimed to break 3:30 at the 2024 Guangzhou Marathon. Drawing on his experience at the Shenzhen Marathon the week before, he held back his early pace, then tracked down a runner at his target pace after 5K and ran steadily through 35K. In the back half he managed the early signs of cramping in his feet with medication from aid stations, and held his pace to the finish with encouragement from cheer points along the way. He set a personal best of 3:27:46 and finished a full marathon without walking for the first time.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

そして初めてフルマラソンで歩かずに完走も達成。

Read the original on 深セン猛走会ランニングブログ

庐陵一呵手Ran in 2023

“After running for about an hour, I emerged from Modisha Tunnel, looked up, and saw Canton Tower again.”

庐陵一吶手 documented the race prep and a trip to Guangzhou in photos while running the December 2023 Guangzhou Marathon. They picked up their bib at the expo late the day before, and photographed sights like Liede Bridge and Canton Tower along a course that crossed both banks of the Pearl River. They also wrote about the aid-station volunteers and the crowd support.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

一个小时后，当我从磨碟沙隧道里穿出来时，抬头又能看到“小蛮腰”。

Read the original on 新浪众测

Summer_YURan in 2017 · Finish time 3小时49分

“At the end, I was guided by my wonderful partner as we ran together toward the finish!”

Summer_YU ran the 2017 Guangzhou Marathon with the help of their partner's pace. After passing half marathon in about 1 hour and 49 minutes, they maintained an even pace through 35 km, held on for the final 5 km, and finished in 3:49, cutting 53 minutes off their previous marathon time.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

最后被神奇搭档拉着一起冲向了终点！

Read the original on 咕咚 (Codoon)

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

豹大王 Run · 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.

Lottery entry has closed

It ran Sep 2, 2026–Sep 11, 2026.
Check separately whether other entry routes are open and spots remain.

Registration history · The 2026 race opened entry on Wed, September 2, 2026

Lottery

If entries exceed capacity, places are allocated by lottery.

Apply through the official website or partner apps ('Malama'/'ShuZi XinDong');

selected entrants must confirm by paying 160 yuan.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

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

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00

Time limit6 hours

Event	Start	Entry fee	Field size
Marathon42.195km	07:00 / 07:10 / 07:20 / 07:30	CN¥180	30,000

START

Official start venue for the 2026 Guangzhou Marathon: Tianhe Sports Center, Guangzhou.

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Official finish venue for the 2026 Guangzhou Marathon: Haixinsha Starlight Avenue, Guangzhou.

Cutoff
2026 formula cut-off point (elapsed time after departure for each minute): 5km 55 minutes, 10km 1 hour 30 minutes, 15km 2 hours 10 minutes, 20km 2 hours 50 minutes, 21.0975km 3 hours, 25km 3 hours 30 minutes, 30km 4 hours 15 minutes, 35km 5 hours, 40km 5 hours 40 minutes, final 42.195km, 6 hours.

Original course map · inews.gtimg.com

Runners start · local time — Marathon 07:00(A/B) · 07:10(C/D) · 07:20(E/F) · 07:30(G/H) (2026-12-20)

Course starts at Tianhe Stadium, heads south and then follows the Pearl River.

The first half is mostly east of Liede Bridge, while the second half runs west of it.

In the final section, runners pass Ersha Island and Haixinsha Island before finishing at Huacheng Square.

First held in November 2012, the race is now classified as a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.

At the 2024 edition, Gebresilase Debele won the men's race in 2:06:28, setting a course record, while Anchialem Haimanot won the women's race in 2:25:13.

Field size: 30,000 people
Grade: CAA Grade A
Typical race-season temperature: around 15°C (59°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Event T-shirt

Bag drop

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

For the 2024 edition, collection required the original valid ID used during registration and the runner-signed 《Health and Safety Responsibility Pledge》 (paper copy).
For the 2025 edition, collection hours were extended by one hour each day, with service until 21:00 on 12/20.
Whether proxy collection is allowed has not been officially confirmed.
2025 edition — collection during the marathon expo from 12/18 (Thu) to 12/20 (Sat); on 12/20 (Sat), open until 21:00 (daily opening time not officially confirmed)

Canton Fair Complex, Area D, Hall 17.1

380 Yuejiang Middle Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou

Google Maps

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the start天河体育中心南广场 (Tianhe Sports Center South Square) — Guangzhou Metro Line 1 (Tiyu Xilu area)
Transit cardTap your foreign contactless Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or JCB bank card directly at the Guangzhou Metro gate — no card purchase or app download needed. This has been live since October 2025. Where to buy
Getting to the finishHaixinsha Island (海心沙) near Asian Games Park, via Tianhe Rd → Tiyu Dong Rd → Xiancun Rd → Linjiang Ave → Liede Ave · Bridge → Haixinsha

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

More details

Getting to the start

天河体育中心南广场 (Tianhe Sports Center South Square) — Guangzhou Metro Line 1 (Tiyu Xilu area)

Per prior edition (raced 2025-12-21, ~26,000 runners); official site guangzhou-marathon.com remains thin. Per prior edition: first trains on Metro Lines 1 & 3 (incl.

Line 3 North Extension) began at 5:00 AM specifically for race-morning arrivals; APM Line 'Tianhe Sports Center South' station closed 5:00-7:00 AM.

Map

Getting to the finish

Haixinsha Island (海心沙) near Asian Games Park, via Tianhe Rd → Tiyu Dong Rd → Xiancun Rd → Linjiang Ave → Liede Ave/Bridge → Haixinsha

Per prior edition: APM Line 'Haixinsha' station closed 7:00 AM-4:00 PM (trains passed through without stopping); Guangzhou Opera House Station Exit A closed 7:00 AM-4:00 PM (other exits open).

Map

Start shuttle

No dedicated shuttle; access via Metro. Runners/staff/volunteers with valid bib or credential rode the metro free via 'green channel' access at stations, per prior edition.

Transit card

Yang Cheng Tong

Metro stations, Yang Cheng Tong service points, some convenience stores Works directly at the gates

Contactless tap-to-ride for overseas bank cards launched Oct 12, 2025, backed by Visa/UnionPay and the city government. A Yang Cheng Tong stored-value card is a fallback that also works on Guangzhou buses, taxis, and ferries.

WeChat Pay/Alipay QR codes remain the most universal option if your card isn't accepted at a particular gate.

Where to buy

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 is held every December.

In Guangzhou, October through December is generally considered the most comfortable period of the year,

as the hot, humid summer gives way to cooler, breezier weather.

Given that the city’s annual average temperature is 22.4°C, race season is generally favorable for running.

Course includes a long riverside section following the Pearl River, with exposed stretches across Ersha Island and Haixinsha Island in the second half.

With Guangzhou’s characteristically breezy late-autumn weather, the perceived temperature may feel different along the river.

Finish, Huacheng Square, is in the heart of Guangzhou’s modern downtown, so traffic controls cover a wide area on race day.

Allow plenty of time when planning your journey.

Times are local to Guangzhou. 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.

China Mayors Plaza - Free Shuttle Between Hotel And Exhibition Center & Exhibitor Registration Counter During Canton Fair

Hotel · 476m

9.0/10(495)

View on Booking.com

Manman Life Center · Chinese-Thai Massage · Aromatherapy Oil Spa | Beijing Road Branch

CN¥70

Guangzhou Marathon

About Guangzhou 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