The 2026 Jiande Marathon will feature a 10,000-runner field when it launches on November 15, 2026, offering 315,700 yuan in total prize money across full and half marathon distances, according to a press conference held in Hangzhou.
Jiande Marathon Press Conference Launches November 15 Race
Organizers gathered in Hangzhou on October 22 to outline the upcoming race, which carries the theme "17°C Lung-Cleansing Run, Falling in Love with Livable Jiande." The event follows the Asian Games to promote Jiande as a light-extreme sports city. Badminton Olympic champion Zheng Siwei, martial arts world champion Mao Yiqi, and Chinese women’s football team captain Wu Haiyan recorded promotional videos to support the event.
The race schedule places the start and finish lines at the Jiande Museum. The event accommodates 2,000 runners in the full marathon and 8,000 runners in the half marathon, with the shorter distance concluding at Shuangjiang Street.
Prize Pool Reaches 315,700 Yuan with Commemorative Medals
The total prize pool reaches 315,700 yuan, distributed across several distinct competitive divisions. Organizers established placing awards, special prizes for runners from Jiande, course record bonuses, and a team-within-a-team competition.
Participants will receive newly designed running shirts and finisher medals. The event also introduced a three-year commemorative medal box covering the 2024 through 2026 editions, featuring interlocking pieces designed to connect into a single display.
Integrated Tourism Packages Promote Local Products and Services
The Jiande Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports introduced an integrated tourism package for registered participants. The program bundles dining, accommodation, and sightseeing discounts alongside light-extreme sports experiences. Organizers scheduled a runner’s night, a runner’s birthday celebration, and a Jiande marathon carnival market for November 14, the day before the race.
The event incorporates a two-way empowerment initiative titled “People Go West, Goods Go East” to market local agricultural specialties and cultural products. Post-race activities include participant experience events and rural off-road weekend programs designed to drive local retail and tourism spending.
On the digital front, the upgraded smart race utility app “Ma Xiaozhu” will provide artificial intelligence customer service, results lookup, and bundled tourism purchasing. Race organizers stated that the event will continue to develop its “marathon plus sports plus agricultural-cultural-tourism” operational model along the Xin’an River.
