My marathons

长沙马拉松 (Changsha Marathon)

The last edition has been run. The next date is not announced yet. Changsha
Changsha
Changsha. Photograph by Calton, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The 2025 Changsha Marathon ran on 26 October with 35,000 places: 15,000 in the marathon, 16,000 in the half marathon and 4,000 in the fun run.

The course in short 2 lines
  • The 2025 race: 35,000 runners on 26 October35,000 places in 2025: 15,000 marathon, 16,000 half, 4,000 fun run.
  • The start moved to the Xiangjiang riverside in 2025Start by Dufu Pavilion, 10 km on Orange Isle, finish at He Long Stadium.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
Whole courseCrowdThe 2025 race: 35,000 runners on 26 October35,000 places in 2025: 15,000 marathon, 16,000 half, 4,000 fun run.

The field grew from 30,000 the year before. The Hunan Provincial Sports Bureau and the Changsha municipal government organised the race, which passed its tenth birthday in 2024.

Sourced

Whole courseLandmarkThe start moved to the Xiangjiang riverside in 2025Start by Dufu Pavilion, 10 km on Orange Isle, finish at He Long Stadium.

The Orange Isle section grew to 10 km. The half marathon finish moved to near the east gate of West Lake Park, and the fun run finished at Kaifu Temple Square.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Changsha, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

Keep exploring

More races to look at after the 长沙马拉松 (Changsha Marathon).

Marathons people fly to

Races in Asia
  • Pudong, Shanghai

    Shanghai Marathon

    Shanghai, China

    Sun 6 Dec42.2 km29 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Pudong, by https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-ovozr, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Xiamen

    Xiamen Marathon

    Xiamen, China

    Sun 10 Jan 202742.2 km75 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Xiamen, by 螺钉, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • A frame from our Beijing Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth0:59

    Beijing Marathon

    Beijing, China

    Oct 202742.2 km41 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Mumbai Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:58Entry closes 5 Nov

    Mumbai Marathon

    Mumbai, India

    Sun 17 Jan 202742.2 km104 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.

Courses on film

All races on film
  • A frame from our Athens Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:56Race week

    Athens Marathon

    Athens, Greece

    Sun 8 Nov42.2 km281 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Malaga Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:50Race week

    Malaga Marathon

    Malaga, Spain

    Sun 8 Nov42.2 km63 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Porto Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:53Race week

    Porto Marathon

    Porto, Portugal

    Sun 8 Nov42.2 km133 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Curitiba Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth3:51Entry open

    Curitiba Marathon

    Curitiba, Brazil

    Sun 15 Nov42.2 km128 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
More races in China