Sunday, December 6, 2026 · The 30th running
The Shanghai Marathon
On December 6, the Shanghai Marathon faces its final assessment to become a World Marathon Major. If it passes, the race from the Bund to Xujiahui joins the series in 2027 as its ninth member. Here’s what’s at stake, what the race is like and how to get in.
From our newsroom
Shanghai and the race to be the ninth Major
Shanghai Marathon Is One Race Away From Joining the World’s Most Exclusive Running Club
Shanghai passed the first stage of its assessment at its 2025 race. One more pass, on December 6, and it becomes a Major.
Cape Town Marathon Joins World Majors, the First Ever in Africa
Cape Town was confirmed as the eighth Major in June, three weeks after its final assessment race.
What Cape Town Joining the Majors Actually Changes
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2026 NYC Marathon Elite Field Preview
Deresa Geleta, third in Shanghai last year, makes his New York debut on Nov. 1.
The candidacy
One more race to pass
Shanghai was named a candidate for the Abbott World Marathon Majors in October 2024, as China’s candidate race. Candidates are assessed against a long list of criteria, from the expo and course operations to the elite field and runner safety, and must pass twice. Shanghai passed the first stage at its race on November 30, 2025, and the result was announced in March 2026.
The December 6 race is its second and final assessment. If it passes, Shanghai becomes a Major from 2027, after Sydney in 2025 and Cape Town, which was confirmed in June 2026. Abbott has said a Nine Star medal would follow for runners who complete the expanded series. Finishing the 2026 race will not earn a star. No date has been set for the decision: Cape Town’s confirmation came about three weeks after its final assessment race.
How Shanghai passed its first assessment · The Cape Town Marathon
The 2025 race · Sunday, November 30
Kosgei’s course record, and a two-second finish
Men
| Athlete | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) | 2:06:25 |
| 2 | Dawit Wolde (ETH) | 2:06:27 |
| 3 | Deresa Geleta (ETH) | 2:06:36 |
Women
| Athlete | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigid Kosgei (KEN) | 2:16:36 |
| 2 | Irine Cheptai (KEN) | 2:18:51 |
| 3 | Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) | 2:20:38 |
Brigid Kosgei won the women’s race by more than two minutes in 2:16:36, taking about four minutes off the course record and running the fastest marathon ever seen in China. The men’s race came down to the final straight, where Milkesa Mengesha beat Dawit Wolde by two seconds. Feng Peiyou’s 2:08:36 was the fastest ever by a Chinese man in Shanghai. Kosgei went on to win Tokyo in March, Cheptai was second in Sydney in August, and Geleta races New York on November 1.
The course
From the Bund to Xujiahui
The race starts at the Golden Bull on the Bund, the riverside promenade lined with the city’s colonial-era banks and trading houses, and runs past Nanjing Road, Jing’an Temple, Huaihai Road and Xintiandi before heading south along the Huangpu River through the West Bund. It passes Longhua Temple and finishes at Xujiahui Sports Park, the home of Shanghai Stadium.
It is a flat, point-to-point course, and Chinese media often call it the fastest in the country. The marathon starts at 7 a.m., with the wheelchair race at 6:45, and early December mornings are usually cool. Organizers publish the detailed 2026 route before race week.
The record book
Course records and recent winners
| Division | Athlete | Time | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba (KEN) | 2:05:35 | 2023 |
| Women | Brigid Kosgei (KEN) | 2:16:36 | 2025 |
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 2:06:25 | Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:16:36 |
| 2024 | Samsom Amare (ERI) 2:06:26 | Bekelech Gudeta (ETH) 2:25:21 |
| 2023 | Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba (KEN) 2:05:35 | Siranesh Yirga (ETH) 2:21:28 |
| 2022 | Domestic-only race after the pandemic | |
| 2021 | Not held | |
Entry
How to run Shanghai
Places are allocated by ballot, open to runners of any nationality, and demand has soared since the race became a Majors candidate. A record number of runners applied for 2026, with about 30,000 marathon places available.
Ways in
- The ballot. One ballot for everyone, through the race website or app. The 2026 ballot ran from April 29 to May 29, with results on June 30. The 2027 dates have not been announced.
- Direct entry. Top finishers at three Shanghai half marathons earlier in the year get places without the ballot.
- Charity places. The race has offered around 800 charity places in recent years.
- A tour operator. International operators including Marathon Tours & Travel and Sports Tours International sell packages.
Race weekend
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Thu, Dec 3 – Sat, Dec 5 | Expo at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in Pudong, 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bibs are collected in person with the ID used to register. |
| Sat, Dec 5 | The fitness run, held on its own day for the first time |
| Sun, Dec 6 | Wheelchair race 6:45 a.m., marathon 7 a.m. |
Entry fees for 2026 were RMB 200 for Chinese runners and $160 for international runners. Runners must be at least 20 on race day.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 Shanghai Marathon?
Sunday, December 6, 2026. The marathon starts at 7 a.m. local time on the Bund, after the wheelchair race at 6:45 a.m.
Is the Shanghai Marathon a World Marathon Major?
Not yet. It is a candidate. It passed the first stage of its assessment in 2025, and the December 6, 2026 race is its final assessment. If it passes, it joins the series in 2027 as the ninth Major.
Will finishing the 2026 race count toward the Nine Star medal?
No. Finishing the 2026 race will not earn a star. If Shanghai is confirmed, stars would start with the 2027 race.
How do I enter?
Through the annual ballot on the race website or app, open to all nationalities. The 2026 ballot ran from April 29 to May 29. There is no qualifying time, but you must be at least 20 on race day.
Is the Shanghai Marathon fast?
Yes. It is flat and point to point, and the course records are 2:05:35 for men and 2:16:36 for women. Kosgei’s 2:16:36 in 2025 is the fastest marathon ever run in China.
