My marathons

Xiamen Marathon

07:007:00 AM Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre
Ballot closed
Xiamen
© OpenStreetMap Xiamen. Photograph by 螺钉, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons . Course line © OpenStreetMap contributors

The course

Pick a place, or drag along the profile

A climb of 16 m from km 5 to km 7, downhill to km 17, then downhill home from km 36.

Start, finish

© OpenStreetMap contributors

  2. Photo: Xmhaoyu, CC BY 3.0
  3. Photo: Jie Yang, CC BY 3.0
  4. Photo: rheins, CC BY 3.0

km 4.6mile 2.9

Huandao Road at Huangcuo

The coast road the first and last stretch of the course runs on, on the seafront at Huangcuo; the police notice names the Huandao Road closure from 05:20.

Photo: Xmhaoyu, CC BY 3.0

Height drawn many times taller than life. Heights: GEDTM30.

Course elevation profile, 8× vertical exaggeration Elevation along the course from km 0 to km 42. The trace runs between 3 and 25 metres, a range of 22 metres, drawn at 8 times vertical exaggeration so the shape is legible. Smoothed over 1 km before this profile was derived. An unsmoothed urban surface carries the buildings and would assert a climb that is not there. The dashed stretches are bridge decks: 演武大桥, km 14.7 to 17.5; 湖滨西路, km 24 to 24.6; 演武大桥, km 28.5 to 31.3. A bare-earth model reads the ground or the water beneath a bridge, not the deck the runner is on, so those runs are interpolated between the ground either side rather than measured, and they under-report the real climb across a span. Marked points: Cut-off at km 5; Cut-off at km 10; Cut-off at km 15; Cut-off at km 20; Cut-off at km 25; Cut-off at km 30; Cut-off at km 35; Cut-off at km 40.
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi

Dashed: bridge upright dashes: cut-offs

  • climb to 7
  • downhill to 17
  • downhill home

Your 5 gels, at the orange marksFor a 4:00 finish, one every 40 minutes

  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

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The course in short 3 lines
  • Never above 25 m, and mostly under 10Never above 25.3 m, mostly under 10 m. The finish, at 3.2 m, is the lowest point of the race.
  • The one climb is the turn on Yunding South RoadA rise of about 15 m in two kilometres to the turnaround at km 6.9, then straight back down.
  • Out and back, with three turnaroundsThree turnarounds, at km 6.9, 21.6 and 24.3, and the same ring road run in both directions.
Course notes 4 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GradientNever above 25 m, and mostly under 10Never above 25.3 m, mostly under 10 m. The finish, at 3.2 m, is the lowest point of the race.

The course is the 2026 one, run on 11 January 2026; the 2027 race is on 10 January 2027. Along the course the ground runs from 3.2 m at the start to 25.3 m at its highest point, 22 m of relief in all, and about two thirds of the course is under 10 m. The finish is the lowest point, at 3.2 m, at km 42.1.

Added up, the race climbs about 75 m. Nearly all of the height that matters sits in one place, the turnaround on Yunding South Road at km 6.9.

Measured

km 5 to 9GradientThe one climb is the turn on Yunding South RoadA rise of about 15 m in two kilometres to the turnaround at km 6.9, then straight back down.

The first 5 km run along the island’s ring road, between 3 m and 10 m above the sea. At km 5.5 the course turns off onto Yunding South Road and climbs to the turnaround at km 6.9. Between km 5.0 and km 6.9 the ground rises from 10.3 m to 25.3 m, and the steepest stretch of it, 1.2 km from km 5.2, averages about 1%.

The road the runners climb is the road they come back down: by km 8.4 they are back on the ring road, and by km 8.9 the road is down to 11.7 m. Nothing else on the course goes above 18 m.

Measured

km 5.5 to 37.6GeometryOut and back, with three turnaroundsThree turnarounds, at km 6.9, 21.6 and 24.3, and the same ring road run in both directions.

The organiser’s 2026 route is a list of streets, run out and “back the same way”. Street by street it has three turnarounds. The first is on Yunding South Road at km 6.9. The other two come back to back on the Hubin roads: Hubin South Road at km 21.6, then Hubin West Road at km 24.3.

The ring road is the spine of it. Huandao South Road is run from km 8.4 to km 14.9 on the way out and again from km 31.4 to km 37.6 on the way back, about 6.5 km and 6.3 km of the same road in opposite directions. The start and the finish are at the same point, the convention centre.

Measured

km 14.7 to 31.3LandmarkYanwu Bridge, crossed twiceTwo crossings of the 2.8 km Yanwu Bridge, at km 14.7 and km 28.5, together 13% of the race.

Yanwu Bridge carries the road from Xiamen’s south coast across to Lujiang Road, and the course runs on it in both directions. It starts at km 14.7, just past Baicheng beach, and ends at km 17.5; on the way back it starts at km 28.5 and ends at km 31.3. Each crossing is 2.8 km, so 5.7 km of the marathon is on the bridge.

Between the two crossings the course is on Lujiang Road and the Hubin roads, which is where the turnarounds at km 21.6 and km 24.3 sit.

Measured

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Xiamen, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile. Xiamen stays within 22 m72 ft of height, so they go 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.

Order by 20 December to test them on two long runs first.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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
climb
75 m246 ft
cut-off
6:00 h
first held
2003

A coastal loop marathon around Xiamen island, starting and finishing at the international conference and exhibition centre in January.

The Xiamen Marathon is a loop of 42.2 km with 75 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 3 m and its highest 25 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 10 January 2027, starting at 07:00.

Race week

Timetable

Sunday 10 January Race day

  1. 07:007:00 AM

    Marathon start Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre. Start and finish are both at the conference centre. Runners go off in waves by seeded zone (分枪发令); the organiser's separate wave notice was not part of this page.

  2. until 14:302:30 PM

    Finish-area bag collection ends Finish service area. Bags handed in at the start are collected at the finish against the bib number until 14:30 (时间至当日14:30结束). After that, within 5 working days at the organiser's office.

  3. Time not published

    Finish closes 6 hours from each runner's own wave gun. 6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi
Cut-offs (9)

  1. Time not published

    Start line closes Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre. No one may cross the start line from 15 minutes after the last wave's gun (最后一枪发令15分钟后).

  2. Time not published

    Cut-off at 5 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 0:55 limit: 11:00/km for 5 km0:55 limit: 17:42/mi for 3.1 mi

  3. Time not published

    Cut-off at 10 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 1:30 limit: 9:00/km for 10 km1:30 limit: 14:29/mi for 6.2 mi

  4. Time not published

    Cut-off at 15 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 2:10 limit: 8:40/km for 15 km2:10 limit: 13:56/mi for 9.3 mi

  5. Time not published

    Cut-off at 20 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 2:50 limit: 8:30/km for 20 km2:50 limit: 13:40/mi for 12.4 mi

  6. Time not published

    Cut-off at 25 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 3:30 limit: 8:24/km for 25 km3:30 limit: 13:31/mi for 15.5 mi

  7. Time not published

    Cut-off at 30 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 4:15 limit: 8:30/km for 30 km4:15 limit: 13:40/mi for 18.6 mi

  8. Time not published

    Cut-off at 35 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 5:00 limit: 8:34/km for 35 km5:00 limit: 13:47/mi for 21.7 mi

  9. Time not published

    Cut-off at 40 km Counted from each runner's own wave gun, not from one clock time. After it the timing mat stops and the road reopens to traffic. 5:45 limit: 8:37/km for 40 km5:45 limit: 13:52/mi for 24.9 mi

Times as published by Xiamen Culture Media Sports Co., Ltd., in Xiamen time, checked .

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Xiamen time

Trip

Getting a place

Ballot closed for the 2027 race As read 26 October 2026.

Past years and every way in
Every way in, year by year →
Entry details on the organiser’s site →

Xiamen Culture Media Sports Co., Ltd., a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

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Questions about the Xiamen Marathon

Is the Xiamen Marathon course flat?

Not entirely. It has 75 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 22 m above the lowest.

When is the Xiamen Marathon 2027?

Sunday 10 January 2027. The start is at 07:00.

How do I enter the Xiamen Marathon?

The 2027 ballot has closed. It opened on 23 September 2026, closed on 14 October and the results came out on 22 October. There are 2 ways in: Registration and draw and Priority pass. Entry fee: CN¥200 (US$80 from abroad, for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site

2 more questions
What is the time limit at the Xiamen Marathon?

Runners have 6 hours to finish.

Where does the Xiamen Marathon start?

Start: Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre.

In the news

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Sources and licence

Last checked.

Course line matched onto OpenStreetMap road geometry: (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License 1.0 (ODbL). Elevation sampled from GEDTM30, Global Ensemble Digital Terrain Model at 30 m (v1.2): Elevation: GEDTM30 (Ho & Hengl, OpenGeoHub), CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Elevation gain computed by us from that line, smoothed over 1 kmsmoothed over 0.6 mi.

The line follows the road down its middle, so it measures 0.55% longer than the certified distance, which is measured on the shortest legal line through every bend.

Date and entry information from Xiamen Culture Media Sports Co., Ltd..

Every source and licence behind them →

More races in China and in January