Dalian Marathon
The Lowdown
Dalian Marathon has been contested along China's Bohai coast since 1987, making it one of the country's oldest marathons and a race in World Athletics' Elite Label category, recognized by AIMS. The route starts and finishes in the Donggang Business District, tracing Gangpu Road, Zhulian Street, Changjiang East Road, Renmin Road, and Zhongshan Road before reaching the waterfront promenade at Xinghai Bay — a mix of modern harbor skyline and seaside scenery that draws roughly 30,000 runners across the marathon, half marathon, 10K, and a 4.2 km fun run. The 2026 edition ran on April 26, 2026, with the marathon priced at CNY 180 and the half marathon at CNY 150 under a pre-registration-then-lottery entry system; the next edition, Dalian Marathon 2027, is confirmed for April 25, 2027, though the 2027 registration window and fees have not yet been announced. Course records stand at 2:09:44 for men (Edwin Koech, Kenya, 2018) and 2:26:12 for women (Wang Jiali, China, 2011), and the race has drawn primary sponsorship from ICBC and, more recently, Mengniu.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
World-class event
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Excellent spectator turnout
Boston Qualifier
This race is a certified Boston Marathon qualifying event. Achieve your qualifying standard here on a verified course.
Xinghai Bay (Star Sea Bay) - waterfront square and promenade on Dalian's southern coast
Zhongshan Road - one of Dalian's main colonial-era boulevards through the city center
Donggang Business District - modern harborfront district hosting the start/finish
Renmin Road - central thoroughfare linking the harbor to downtown Dalian
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Donggang Business District, Dalian, China
CN
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Must be 18 years or older on race day for the full and half marathon
Required Documents
- Valid passport or Chinese national ID for registration and bib pickup
Entry Methods
- Online pre-registration via the official site (dlmls.org), followed by a lottery draw if the race is oversubscribed
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable per organizer rules
First held in 1987, one of China's longest-running marathons
World Athletics Elite Label Race and AIMS full member event
Entry historically allocated via pre-registration followed by a lottery draw when oversubscribed
Course records: 2:09:44 men (Edwin Koech, KEN, 2018), 2:26:12 women (Wang Jiali, CHN, 2011)
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Community
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