PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONCN / RACE GUIDE

Hangzhou International Marathon

Name: Hangzhou International Marathon
Uploaded: 2007-09-11
Description: Starts at 7:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, at Hangzhou Huanglong Sports Center. The scale has grown to 36,000 participants, with 22,000 in full marathon and 14,000 in half marathon. Full marathon fini

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Hangzhou
CN

MasaneMiyaPA · CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · EditQ, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · Peter, CC BY 2.0Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Race date in 20 days: Nov 1, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: Hangzhou · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee: CN¥200Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedTue, June 23, 2026 ~ Wed, July 15, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 12, 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.

Starts at 7:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, at Hangzhou Huanglong Sports Center.

The scale has grown to 36,000 participants, with 22,000 in full marathon and 14,000 in half marathon.

Full marathon finishes at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, and half marathon finishes at the Civic Center Square.

This year's course has been newly designed to link the two World Heritage sites, West Lake and the Grand Canal.

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

陈家治Ran in 2025 · Finish time 02:02:01

“I started in H section, but there were so many people early on that I kept bumping into others while running, and pace became somewhat disrupted.”

陈家治 completed the 2025 Hangzhou half marathon in 2 hours 2 minutes 1 second, with a chip time. The early congestion disrupted pace, and from the 16 km mark onward, leg cramps required medical assistance, after which 陈家治 alternated between walking and running.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

我在 H 区起跑，前期人非常多，我一路横冲直撞，节奏有点混乱。

Read the original on lailai's Home

那年十八Ran in 2018 · Finish time 407

“I finished injury-free, taking in the scenery along the way, eating and drinking as I went.”

那年十八 took part in the 2018 Hangzhou Marathon full marathon. Their legs stiffened from 6K on, and with fatigue and blisters left over from a previous race, they gave up chasing a time and slowed down, enjoying the aid stations and course scenery while finishing injury-free.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

就这样一路看看美景，吃吃喝喝，无伤完赛：

Read the original on 什么值得买

高柳乱蝉Ran in 2018 · Finish time 4小时30分钟

“I pushed hard to the end and held on to 4:30:00 (the screenshot shows a later time because I didn't stop the app in time).”

高柳乱蝉 took part in the 2018 Hangzhou Marathon full course on November 4, 2018. Although 高柳乱蝉 walked in the second half, they made it to the finish at Huanglong Sports Center after passing through downtown Hangzhou and the course scenery, and wrote that they had maintained a 4-hour 30-minute finish.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

在力拼之下，倒是保住了4小时30分钟（图示没有及时关App）。

Read the original on 什么值得买

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

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 Jun 23, 2026–Jul 15, 2026.
Check separately whether other entry routes are open and spots remain.

Registration history · The 2026 race opened entry on Tue, June 23, 2026

Lottery

Apply for the free lottery through the official website/WeChat mini program (applications accepted from 2026 6/23 to 7/15, results announced at the end of July),

and pay only if selected (Full 200 yuan/half marathon 150 yuan).

In 2025, about 151,000 people applied and 36,000 were selected (about 24%).

Original

"Entry is allocated by random lottery;

submitting earlier does not increase your chances."

Qualifying time

Full marathon requires either a finish in an officially certified full marathon within the past 24 months or two recorded finishes in half marathon.

Half marathon requires two officially recorded results of 10K or longer.

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

Event	Start	Field size
Marathon42.195km	07:00	22,000
Half21.0975km	07:00	14,000

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

Huanglong Sports Center

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Full marathon: Aoti center; half marathon: Citizens' Square

Finish · Google Maps

Course starts at Huanglong Sports Center.

The first half passes around West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and finishers have reported several uphill sections.

In the second half, the course crosses the Qiantang River and follows the riverbank to Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center.

Full marathon finish are inside the Olympic Sports Center, which served as the main stadium for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

The half marathon and Fun Run events finish at different locations.

The race has been accredited by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) since 2007 and attracts more than 30,000 runners based on recent editions.

The 2025 men's race was highly competitive, with all three podium finishers passing finish in 2:11:15.

Field size: 36,000 people (total 22,000·half marathon 14,000)
Grade: CAA Grade A
Typical race-season temperature: around 12°C (54°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

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 Hangzhou Marathon uses a lottery system, with a medical examination certificate required after selection, and pickup information has not yet been announced.
Events organized by the same group have used an original-ID-only, no-proxy pickup system at the south plaza of the Zhejiang Exhibition Hall; participants aged 65 and over have also been required to submit a pledge accompanied by an immediate family member.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startHuanglong Sports Center — Metro Line 1 or Line 4, ~30 min from Hangzhou East Railway Station
Transit cardSet up Alipay (or WeChat Pay) with the transit ride-code feature before flying and scan the QR at metro/bus gates. Where to buy
Getting to the finishfull marathon: Hangzhou Olympic (Asian Games) Sports Center (Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center) via Metro Line 1 · 6; half marathon: Citizens' Square

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

More details

Getting to the start

Huanglong Sports Center — Metro Line 1 or Line 4, ~30 min from Hangzhou East Railway Station

Full marathon and half marathon both start at Huanglong Sports Center, 7:00 AM. Official site (hzim.org) unreachable — sourced from a local news aggregator instead.

Map

Getting to the finish

full marathon: Hangzhou Olympic (Asian Games) Sports Center (Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center) via Metro Line 1/6; half marathon: Citizens' Square

Two different finish points depending on distance — confirm your race category before planning return transit.

Map

Road closures

Subway Line 1/3, Wulin Square Station, Exit D/E

Start shuttle

No dedicated shuttle info published; detailed road-closure logistics announced closer to race day. Course passes Xihu, Shangcheng, Xiaoshan and Binjiang districts, West Lake and the Qiantang River.

Transit card

Hangzhou Transportation Smart Card (杭州通)

Metro station service counters and vending machines throughout the city; not typically sold at the airport in advance. Most visitors instead use Alipay's transit ride-code (set up before flying, passport-verified overseas phone number) or WeChat Pay's equivalent QR feature.

Not accepted at the gates — get the local card above Alternative: Tourist Metro Pass (1-Day / 3-Day, also 5- and 7-day versions) 1-Day: CNY 15; 3-Day: CNY 40 (approx) — Rarely worth it -- single rides cost CNY 2-5, so unless taking 6+ rides a day the pass doesn't pay for itself; Alipay/WeChat QR is the practical default.

Hangzhou lags several other major Chinese cities in rolling out international contactless bank card acceptance at transit gates (unlike Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou) -- don't assume a Visa/Mastercard will tap through as of Aug 2026.

Where to buy

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026 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.

The race is held in early November each year.

Hangzhou has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and cool winters.

Since it takes place after the June rainy season and the August–September typhoon season, the risk of rain is relatively low.

However, temperatures can vary considerably between day and night, so prepare warm layers for the wait before the start.

With more than 30,000 participants, runners should allow for assigned start corrals and congestion early in the race.

The uphill sections around West Lake in the first half of course should also be factored into your pacing strategy.

It is also important to note that the finish differ by event.

Full marathon finishes at the Olympic Sports Center, half marathon at Civic Square, and Fun Run at a location near West Lake.

Times are local to Hangzhou. 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.

The Nook Hotel Hangzhou - A Design Hotel, Near Subway

Hotel · 2.0km

9.0/10(237)

View on Booking.com

Hangzhou Tcm Pulse Diagnosis Herbal Bag Cupping

Traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis + herbal pouch + cupping experience · CN¥563

View on GetYourGuide

Qushui Lanting Hangzhou Chengdong

CN¥998

Hangzhou International Marathon

About Hangzhou International 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