2026 Wuhan Marathon to Start on March 22 with Full Marathon Finish Line Relocated to Qingshan Riverbank

Cherry blossoms grace the riverside city, running towards spring. On December 12, it was announced at the 2026 Wuhan Marathon press briefing that the race will commence at 7:30 AM on March 22, 2026. The registration portal officially opened at 2:00 PM on December 12, 2025.

To meet the demand of more runners who wish to "run a marathon and enjoy cherry blossoms," the 2026 Wuhan Marathon has expanded the scale of both the marathon and half marathon events, with a total participant cap of 30,000. Specifically, the marathon will have 17,000 participants and the half marathon 13,000. If the number of applicants exceeds the limits, a lottery draw will determine the qualifying participants.

This year's race course has been optimized and upgraded. The starting line remains at the intersection of Sanyang Road and Yanjiang Avenue. The half marathon finish line returns to Shujuan Road, while the marathon finish line has been relocated from Wuhan Happy Valley to the Qingshan Riverbank. For the first time, the course will cover all seven central urban districts of Wuhan. The optimized latter section of the course is flatter, facilitating better performance. Runners will start by the Yangtze River, pass through the lively old streets of the historic Hankou district, landmarks such as Wusheng Road, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, Yellow Crane Tower, and the East Lake Greenway, before finally sprinting to the finish at the Qingshan Riverbank, fully experiencing the unique "run along the Yangtze River."

Public registration is open from 2:00 PM on December 12 to 2:00 PM on December 19, 2025. Registration channels include the official Wuhan Marathon website, the Bank of China APP, the Mararun APP, and the Digital Heartbeat APP. The process follows a "lottery first, payment later" model, with lottery results expected to be announced in early January 2026. Regarding registration fees, Chinese nationals (including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) are charged 200 RMB for both the full and half marathon. Foreign nationals are charged 50 USD or 360 RMB. After the first-round lottery and payment period, any remaining slots will be allocated through a second lottery draw. Applicants who register via the Bank of China APP will receive complimentary access to a dedicated race preparation training course jointly launched by Bank of China and Keep.

The race will employ a two-wave start system. The marathon and half marathon will start in separate waves, 15 minutes apart. Participants found to have engaged in invalid starting behavior will be disqualified and face additional penalties after the race. The cut-off time for the half marathon is 3 hours and 30 minutes, and for the full marathon, 6 hours and 15 minutes.

Additionally, the event has established separate registration channels for elite athletes and qualifiers from the Wuhan Marathon series races, with registration periods aligning with the public registration. Elite athletes specifically refer to international elite athletes and domestically registered professional athletes. Their agents must complete registration via the official email before February 6, 2026. Upon approval, they will participate as invited athletes. Qualifiers must complete registration and payment on the official website as required; otherwise, their qualification will be considered forfeited. The list of qualifiers can be found in the official registration guidelines on the website.

Under the theme "A Grand Gathering of Cherries," the 2026 Wuhan Marathon is deeply integrated with Wuhan's cherry blossom season IP. It will launch a series of supporting activities such as "Enjoy Cherry Blossoms with the Marathon," "Savor Local Delicacies," "Explore Shopping Districts," and "Tour the River City," aiming to create a "Spring Cherry Blossom Marathon" extravaganza. This March, under the spring blossoms, runners from home and abroad are cordially invited to gather in Wuhan to experience the city's charm amidst the flurry of cherry blossoms.

Source: chinadaily.com.cn（Chinese Source）