Xiamen Marathon

The Xiamen Marathon is one of Asia's premier road races and the first World Athletics Platinum Label marathon of the calendar year, held every January in the coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian Province. Founded in 2003, the race draws 35,000 participants along a scenic course that hugs the island's coastline for nearly the entire 42.195 km, passing beaches, parks, and sea-view boulevards. The course starts and finishes at the Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Center and traces the iconic Huan Dao Lu coastal ring road, offering views of the Taiwan Strait, Gulangyu Island, and Baicheng Beach. The route is essentially flat with minimal elevation change, making it a fast course that has hosted numerous course records by elite Ethiopians and Kenyans. Entry is allocated by public lottery (ballot), with registration typically opening in September for the following January race.