PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONCN / RACE GUIDE

"Pearl of the Gobi" Shihezi Marathon

Q: What is the "Pearl of the Gobi" Shihezi Marathon 2027 course like?

The race starts and finishes at Junken Cultural Square (军垦文化广场). Full marathon leaves the square and heads east on Beisan Road (北三路), and the first 5km are flat.

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

CNOctober 202742.195km · 21.1km

Ccyber5 ( talk ) · Public domain

Race date Oct expected: October 2027
City · Distance: Shihezi · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee: CN¥120From the 2026 edition
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date October 2027 · expected · Soon

2026Date Oct 2, 2026 · Entry Sep 2, 2026 ~ · Entry fee CN¥120 · Start 08:30

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 19, 2026

About the race 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.

Shihezi is a city at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,

a planned city founded in 1950 through military land reclamation (屯垦) by the People's Liberation Army.

For turning barren Gobi desert into an irrigated oasis city,

it received the UN Dubai International Award for improving the living environment, which earned it the nickname "戈壁明珠" (Pearl of the Gobi).

First held in 2023, the "戈壁明珠" Shihezi Marathon takes place on October 2, 2026, with three events —

full marathon, half marathon, and Fun Run — starting and finishing at Junken Cultural Square.

The race takes its name from the city's nickname, and its course crosses the square,

which preserves the history of military reclamation, and the oasis downtown.

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.

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.

Finisher vlog

马小也挑战千马 · 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.

From the 2026 edition

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

Your 42.195km

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

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 08:30

Event	Start
2026“戈壁明珠”石河子马拉松42.195km	08:30
2026“戈壁明珠”石河子马拉松21.0975km	08:30

START

Junken Cultural Square

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Bayi Sugar Mill

The race starts and finishes at Junken Cultural Square.

Full marathon leaves the square and heads east on Beisan Road, and the first 5km are flat.

At the 2.8km mark it turns right onto Dongsi Road and continues onto Gaoxin Avenue;

from the 5.5km mark there is a 500m downhill, and at the 6.3km mark a 300m climb over an overpass.

Course passes turnaround point several times, including at 13.7km, 23km, and a point 3km farther along Huoju Road,

and at the 31km mark it turns from Qingnian Road back onto Gaoxin Avenue for course's last major climb.

Course passes key city landmarks, including the Xinjiang Military Reclamation Museum and Shihezi University.

Grade: CAA Grade C

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Finisher medal 2026

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 2026 edition

Bib pickup

BIB collection arrangements for the Shihezi Marathon have not yet been announced.
Check the official WeChat account for updates.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startShihezi Railway Station (石河子站, Lanxin Railway) and Shihezi Garden Airport
Getting to the finishJunken Culture Square

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Shihezi Railway Station (石河子站, Lanxin Railway) and Shihezi Garden Airport

Per prior editions (2023-2025): start/finish at Junken Culture Square, downtown Shihezi. Course: Junken Culture Square—Bei San Lu—Dong Si Lu—loop—back to Junken Culture Square.

Map

Getting to the finish

Junken Culture Square

Loop course returning to the same plaza.

Map

Start shuttle

Most travelers fly via Ürümqi then connect by short flight/train/bus.

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 every year on October 2 during the National Day holiday.

Shihezi has a typical continental climate, with average October highs of 15–16°C and lows around 7°C.

Rainfall is generally light, but the 2025 race was run in the rain.

Course mixes downhills and climbs between 5.5 and 6.3km and around the 31km mark, so it is not a completely flat course.

Shihezi is about 150km from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, so most runners travel overland via Urumqi.

Times are local to Shihezi. 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.

Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar "Silk Road Millennium Impression" Yanyi Grand Theater Performance Ticket + Bazaar Food Buffet Ticket

₩42,746

"Pearl of the Gobi" Shihezi Marathon

About "Pearl of the Gobi" Shihezi 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