Hangzhou Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Hangzhou Marathon is a point-to-point road marathon in Hangzhou, China, held on a Sunday in early November and organised by the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau and the Hangzhou municipal government. It holds a World Athletics Gold Label. In 2026 the marathon starts at 7:00 am at Huanglong Sports Centre and finishes in the stadium of the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, known as the Big Lotus. The organisers say the 42.195 km route links two UNESCO World Heritage sites, West Lake and the Grand Canal, and passes more than 20 city landmarks. From Huanglong Road it follows Shuguang Road and Baochu Road to Beishan Street and Yanggong Causeway beside West Lake, then Hupao Road and Zhijiang Road towards the Qiantang River, which the 2026 route crosses on the Pengbu Bridge. The 2026 field was set at 36,000 runners, 22,000 in the marathon and 14,000 in the half marathon, and places are allocated by lottery. The race traces its origins to 1987 through its predecessors, the West Lake Osmanthus International Marathon and the International Friendship West Lake Marathon, which makes it one of the oldest marathons in China. The event records are 2:07:47 for men (Moses Kibet, 2024) and 2:22:57 for women (Helah Jelagat Kiprop, 2024).