My marathons

襄阳马拉松 (Xiangyang Marathon)

Run on 25 October 2026. Next race: date not out yet. Xiangyang
Xiangyang
Xiangyang. Photograph by Fxqf, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The 2026 Xiangyang Marathon on 25 October is capped at 20,000 runners, 5,000 in the marathon and 15,000 in the half marathon, and each runner may enter one distance only.

The course in short 2 lines
  • 20,000 places, 5,000 of them for the marathon20,000 places in 2026: 5,000 marathon, 15,000 half, one distance each.
  • A draw for places and a martial-arts theme2026 entry by draw, 30 July to 20 August; martial-arts theme with themed aid stations.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
Whole courseCrowd20,000 places, 5,000 of them for the marathon20,000 places in 2026: 5,000 marathon, 15,000 half, one distance each.

The city government’s announcement says the race starts on 25 October and offers a marathon (42.195 km) and a half marathon (21.0975 km). The total field is 20,000, of which 5,000 run the marathon and 15,000 the half marathon. Each runner may enter one distance, and group entries are not accepted.

Sourced

Whole courseConditionsA draw for places and a martial-arts theme2026 entry by draw, 30 July to 20 August; martial-arts theme with themed aid stations.

Registration for 2026 opened on 30 July through the race’s official WeChat account and closed on 20 August at 18:00. The organiser describes the format as register first, pay after the draw. Runners could pick a martial-arts persona and generate a personal poster while registering.

The theme is “Xiayi Xiangyang” (chivalry in Xiangyang). The organiser lists “chivalry aid stations” along the route and a martial-arts themed sports expo before race day.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Xiangyang, 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

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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.

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

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