A river-plain course that never passes 14 mTen metres from lowest to highest point: this is as flat as a big-city marathon gets.
Six cut-off gates, all set at about the same paceBe through km 10 by 07:48 and the turnaround by 09:59; the finish limit is 5 hours 30.
The run out to the river and back to the stadiumElevated road out to the turnaround, riverside parks back, finish inside the stadium.
Course notes
3 short reads on the course
1km 0 to 42.2GradientA river-plain course that never passes 14 mTen metres from lowest to highest point: this is as flat as a big-city marathon gets.
Taipei sits on a basin floor and the course never leaves it. The road starts at Taipei City Hall Square at 12.3 m, settles near 8 m
within the first 5 km, and stays between about 6 m and 10 m for most of the way out to the Keelung River and back.
The highest point is 13.7 m at km 28.6, and the lowest is 3.5 m at km 36.2, a spread of 10.2 m. The 44.9 m of total climbing is made of
many small rises of a few metres each, not of any hill. The elevation here is the ground height beneath the route; where the course
takes a bridge or the elevated Huandong road, the deck is higher than the ground under it.
Measured
2km 10 to 40TacticsSix cut-off gates, all set at about the same paceBe through km 10 by 07:48 and the turnaround by 09:59; the finish limit is 5 hours 30.
The regulations list six gates for the marathon: 10 km at 07:48, 14.1 km at 08:19, 20.4 km at 09:09, the turnaround at 26.8 km at 09:59,
38.6 km at 11:31 and 40 km at 11:42. Counted from the 06:30 gun, that is 78 minutes for the first 10 km and 209 minutes for the
first 26.8 km, both 7:48 per km. The 40 km gate at 11:42 is 312 minutes in.
A runner who misses a gate is stopped and taken to the finish by the organiser’s vehicle. The overall limit is 330 minutes, which is
5:30 on the clock and 12:00 at the finish. Because the course is flat, the gates are a question of pace, not of terrain.
Measured
3km 20 to 42.2GeometryThe run out to the river and back to the stadiumElevated road out to the turnaround, riverside parks back, finish inside the stadium.
The start is Taipei City Hall Square, and the route heads north up Zhongshan North Road and over Zhongshan Bridge. After Dingdi Avenue the
regulations send the marathon up the Huandong elevated road and down to Jingmao 1st Road, where it turns round on its own line and
comes back. The organiser’s cut-off table puts that turnaround at about 26.8 km.
From the turnaround the course leaves the road for the riverside parks, Nanhu, Chengmei, Guanshan and Yingfeng, then rejoins the street at
Tayou Road and Nanjing East Road for the finish inside Taipei Track and Field Stadium. The lowest point of the
course, 3.5 m, is on the riverbank at km 36.2, and the road rises about 7 m to km 40 on the way into the stadium.
Sourced
At a glance
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
Point to point, asphalt
climb
44.9 m147 ft
Highest point 10 m above lowest
cut-off
5:30 h
5 h 30 min
finishers
12,614
Finishers in 2024
first held
1986
A December route through central Taipei from City Hall Square, north to the Keelung River and back along its banks to the Municipal Stadium.
The Taipei Marathon is a flat point-to-point course of 42.2 km with 44.9 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 4 m and its highest 14 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 20 December 2026, starting at 06:30.
Race week
Bib pickup at Marathon expo, Zhengyan Hall (花博爭豔館), 1 Yumen Street, Zhongshan District
Timetable
Thursday 17 December Bib pickup
13:001:00 PM–20:008:00 PM
Race pack collection at the expoMarathon expo, Zhengyan Hall (花博爭豔館), 1 Yumen Street, Zhongshan District. Pick-up in person with the e-receipt number and ID; a friend can collect with both sets of ID. No collection on race day.
Friday 18 December Bib pickup
13:001:00 PM–20:008:00 PM
Race pack collection at the expoMarathon expo, Zhengyan Hall (花博爭豔館), 1 Yumen Street, Zhongshan District
Saturday 19 December Last bib day
11:0011:00 AM–18:006:00 PM
Race pack collection at the expoMarathon expo, Zhengyan Hall (花博爭豔館), 1 Yumen Street, Zhongshan District
Sunday 20 December Race day
04:304:30 AM–06:006:00 AM
Baggage dropSonggao Rd (Shifu Rd to Songzhi Rd), and at the Songgao Rd and Songzhi Rd junction. Marathon runners only. Official baggage bag required; bags are collected inside Taipei Track and Field Stadium from 08:30 to 12:30.
06:006:00 AM
Marathon assemblyTaipei City Hall Square (臺北市市民廣場). Assembly time for the marathon.
06:306:30 AM
Marathon startTaipei City Hall Square (臺北市市民廣場). The finish is Taipei Track and Field Stadium. Runners starting more than 15 minutes after the gun may be refused a start and a result.
Time not published
Marathon time limit5 hours 30 minutes (330 minutes) for the marathon; runners outside it are taken back by sweeper vehicle.5:30 limit: 7:49/km for 42.195 km5:30 limit: 12:35/mi for 26.2 mi
Cut-offs (6)
07:487:48 AM
Cut-off: Kaitakelan Blvd and Zhongshan S Rd (Jingfumen roundabout)7:48/km from the 06:30 start to km 1012:33/mi from the 6:30 AM start to mile 6.2
08:198:19 AM
Cut-off: end of Zhongshan Bridge, Zhongshan N Rd7:43/km from the 06:30 start to km 14.112:26/mi from the 6:30 AM start to mile 8.8
09:099:09 AM
Cut-off: Dingdi Ave, Huandong exit7:47/km from the 06:30 start to km 20.412:32/mi from the 6:30 AM start to mile 12.7
09:599:59 AM
Cut-off: marathon turnaround7:47/km from the 06:30 start to km 26.812:33/mi from the 6:30 AM start to mile 16.7
11:3111:31 AM
Cut-off: Ji 6 Tayou evacuation gate7:47/km from the 06:30 start to km 38.612:32/mi from the 6:30 AM start to mile 24
11:4211:42 AM
Cut-off: Tayou Rd at Nanjing E Rd Sec. 57:48/km from the 06:30 start to km 4012:33/mi from the 6:30 AM start to mile 24.9
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.
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.
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: Manchester Town Hall, by Mark Andrew., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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.
Questions about the Taipei Marathon
Is the Taipei Marathon course flat?
Yes. It has 44.9 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 10 m above the lowest.
When is the Taipei Marathon 2026?
Sunday 20 December 2026. The start is at 06:30.
How do I enter the Taipei Marathon?
The 2026 ballot has closed. It opened on 3 July 2026, closed on 15 July and the results came out on 17 July. Entry fee: NT$2,200 (for the 2026 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
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