Shanghai Marathon 2026

The Shanghai Marathon 2026 marks the event's 30th edition and is one of Asia's leading city marathons. Its World Athletics Platinum Label race is part of Shanghai's assessment towards potential inclusion in the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The Sunday, 6 December 2026 mass marathon expands to 30,000 runners, alongside a separate elite wheelchair race.

A journey through central Shanghai

The full 42.195 km course starts at Bund Bull Plaza on Zhongshan East First Road, Huangpu District, and finishes outside Xujiahui Sports Park on Zhongshan South Second Road in Xuhui District. The announced route passes the Bund, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, Jing'an Temple, Huaihai Road, Xintiandi, the First National Congress memorial area, Huangpu Riverside, Longteng Avenue, Longhua Temple and Longhua Martyrs' Cemetery. The organiser notes that the final turn-by-turn route and traffic plan are subject to the pre-race announcement.

The wheelchair competition begins at 06:45 China Standard Time, with the mass marathon starting in waves from 07:00. Chip timing includes the start and intermediate checkpoints. The organiser advertises drink/water support along the route, medical stations and multilingual services.

Critical cut-offs and medals

The official road-closing schedule ends at 13:30, 6 hours 30 minutes after the first marathon gun. Intermediate cut-off points apply, and closure times are local clock times rather than an extra six and a half hours for each later wave. Published rules also specify a separate six-hour finishing condition for the marathon finisher medal. These two timings are not interchangeable: runners likely to finish between six hours and the 13:30 road closure should seek clarification from the organiser about medal eligibility.

Race-day assembly begins at 05:30. Entrants must deposit baggage in their organiser-issued bags by 06:45 and collect their bags from the finish area by 14:30. Consider the finish precinct and public-transport route separately from the Bund start.

Ballot and race-pack collection

Public lottery applications ran 29 April, 15:00 to 29 May 2026, 12:00 China time. The ballot results were announced 30 June, with payment required by 20 July at 12:00 for successful applicants. That public application/payment process has closed. Direct-entry eligibility for qualified runners from selected Shanghai Marathon series events was administered separately; do not assume there are new public places available.

Race packs must be collected in person at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre, 850 Bocheng Road, on 3, 4 or 5 December, 09:30-19:30. The participant must present the original registration-matching identity document or passport. Proxy collection, postal delivery and race-day collection are not available. The organiser can refuse a pack if the ID does not match the entry.

A standalone 6 km Shen Ai Run (申爱跑) on Saturday 5 December at 07:00 local time is a separate event and is not a 5K category or a public distance within this full-marathon listing. Shanghai's municipal sports authority confirms its 6 km distance and separate date. See the official 2026 city announcement.

Sources: Shanghai Marathon organiser and published 2026 competition rules.