Guangzhou Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Guangzhou Marathon is a road marathon in the capital of Guangdong, held on a Sunday in December and organised by the China Athletics Association and the Guangzhou municipal government. It starts at the Tianhe Sports Center and finishes on the Starlight Avenue in Haixinsha, the island in the Pearl River, and the course follows the river along both banks. The 2026 race is on 20 December with a capacity of 30,000, up from 26,000 in 2025, and the start is staggered in four waves at 7:00, 7:10, 7:20 and 7:30. The route runs through the Tianhe, Haizhu, Liwan and Yuexiu districts. It leaves the Sports Center along Tianhe Road, Linjiang Avenue and the Pazhou Bridge turnaround, uses the Liede Bridge, comes back through Haizhu and crosses the Renmin Bridge into the old city before reaching Haixinsha. The overall cut-off is 6 hours. Entry costs ¥180, and a lottery decides places when applications exceed capacity. Applicants must be at least 20 years old and show a finish in one marathon or two half marathons in the previous 24 months. Runners who have completed 10 Guangzhou Marathons enter without the lottery. The 2026 race adds a bonus of ¥120,000 for a Chinese national record.