For 36 years Pudong has surged forward, and across ten editions the half marathon has marched on with resolute steps. From opening up new ground to becoming a benchmark of vitality, Pudong has always moved ahead; from the inaugural starting gun to a decade of annual meetings, the Shanghai Half Marathon has grown into a golden calling card to the world.
This year, standing at its first decadal milestone, the Shanghai Half Marathon, under the banner "Ten Years, Moving Forward Together," brings together a decade of honed dedication to present every runner with an event progressing toward Platinum Label excellence.
On March 13, the press conference for the 2026 Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) Half Marathon was successfully held at the SPDB Oriental Sports Center Natatorium. Attending the conference were Xu Qi, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau; Zhou Jin, Vice President of Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co., Ltd.; Liu Qi, Director of the Competition Division, Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau; Zhao Ningfeng, Director of the Sports Division, Publicity Department of the Pudong New Area Committee (District Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism); Bi Peiwen, President of Donghao Lansheng Exhibition Group Co., Ltd.; Ye Ran, Head of the Publicity Department of the Party Committee and Director of the Major Events Office at SPDB Head Office; and Shen Kai, Senior Director of Sports Marketing, adidas Greater China, among other leaders and guests.
At the press conference, Mr. Zhu Junwei, General Manager of Shanghai Donghao Lansheng Sports Co., Ltd., presented the basic information for this edition and unveiled the race's official promotional film.
The 2026 SPD Bank Shanghai Half Marathon, with the slogan "Decade Running Forward" as its slogan, is scheduled to start at 7:00 AM on Sunday, March 15 in Pudong New Area. At that time, 15,000 runners will set off together from Fenghe Road beneath the Oriental Pearl, running through the modern skyline of Lujiazui Financial City, the Expo Park that holds the city's memories, and the vibrant Qiantan business district, ultimately arriving at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center (Yongyao Road) to complete this year's Shanghai half marathon challenge. This route not only links together Pudong's era-defining landmarks but will also witness every runner's "Decade Running Forward" running moments.
In terms of the elite field, this edition has invitedover 30top elite athletes to compete together. Domestic elite runners are led byWu Xiangdong, Li Zhixuan, Xu Shuangshuang and others. We look forward to all elite runners breaking through their limits and achieving great results on the course of the 10th Shanghai Half Marathon under favorable weather conditions.
This year's finisher medal, as a condensation of runners' glory and the tenth-anniversary commemoration, uses a three-dimensional hollow "21.0975 km" numeral as its core visual to reinforce the race's professional character.The medal incorporates silhouettes of landmarks such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, echoing Shanghai's urban spirit. The "10TH ANNIVERSARY" lettering around the edge highlights the unique commemorative significance of the race's tenth anniversary.It is not only proof of a successful challenge but also carries the journey of running, the city's heritage, and ten years of shared memories.
To let road-running enthusiasts immediately immerse themselves in the excitement and appeal of the event, this year’s race has built a diversified, multi-dimensional communications matrix. The race will once again partner withFive Star Sports for television broadcast, and will also join withShanghai Release, Sina Weibo, Tencent Sports, Shanghai Telecom IPTV and other major online and new-media platforms to provide full real-time online streaming. To attract more overseas runners to follow the Shanghai Half Marathon, the Shanghai Marathon’s overseas social mediaInstagram will, for the first time, livestream the entire Shanghai Half Marathon, striving to present every exciting moment on and off the course in a complete and vivid way, so that domestic and international viewers who cannot attend in person can feel as if they were there and jointly witness the tenth-anniversary running celebration.
Ten years is both a look back and a new beginning. At the press conference,“10th Anniversary · Ten Years, Advancing Together Theme Exhibition”was unveiled at the same time. The exhibition tells stories through tangible memorabilia — the displayed race shirts, finisher medals and other items from over the years act as coordinates of time, quietly recording every step the event and its runners have taken together.
A decade of racing has been full of vitality thanks to the participation of every runner. In the interactive session, veteran runners who have been there since the first edition, native Pudong runners, foreign runners and other runner representatives gathered together. They shared their unique emotional bonds with the Shanghai Half Marathon—moments of persistence, growth and reunion—that vividly illustrated the deeper meaning of "Ten Years, Forward Together". Zhao Ningfeng, Director of the Sports Division of the Publicity Department of the Pudong New Area District Committee (District Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau), and Shi Guoyin, Party Branch Secretary and Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Donghao Lansheng Sports Co., Ltd., on behalf of the organizing committee, prepared custom 3D figurines modeled on the runners' original race-day appearances, allowing this shared honor from the years together to be tangibly preserved and to accompany them on their journey forward.
At the press conference, the organizing committee also paid a special tribute to elite runners from around the world. As a Gold Label athlete set to take to the Shanghai Half Marathon course, Kenyan elite Bethwell KIPKEMBOI attended the press conference, where Zhu Junwei, general manager of Shanghai Donghao Lansheng Sports Co., Ltd., presented him witha sandalwood fan printed with the Pudong city skyline. This gift not only recognizes his outstanding competitive level, but is also a sincere demonstration of the Shanghai Half Marathon’s open and professional hospitality toward global elites and its commitment to building a world-class competition platform. The gift carries the event’s respect and gratitude for every top athlete, and also symbolizes that the spirit of “Ten Years of Shared Progress” will shine even more brightly through the participation of international elites.
On the marathon course there are always two forces moving together: the runner’s wind‑cutting stride and the silent, steadfast safety net woven by countless support personnel. Over the past ten years, their presence has never been absent. This press conference specially invited representatives from ten different support roles — police, race officials, volunteers, emergency response, medical teams, PACER, sanitation, staff, media, and firefighters — to the stage. Their stories contain no grand speeches, only year‑after‑year dedication and quiet sacrifice. Liu Qi, Director of the Competition Division of the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau, and Bi Peiwen, President of Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co., Ltd., on behalf of the organizing committee, presented them with an honorary formation composed of 10 figurines representing behind‑the‑scenes heroes, in tribute to these “invisible guardians” who have forged the event’s foundation with professionalism and passion.由10位幕后英雄人偶形象组成的荣誉方阵，以此致敬这些用专业与热忱铸就赛事基石的“隐形守护者”。
As the event’s official partner, adidas has always stood alongside the Shanghai Half Marathon. Zhou Jin, Vice President of Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co., Ltd., and Shen Kai, Senior Director of Sports Marketing, Greater China, adidas, together lit the 10th‑anniversary commemorative installation. In the installation, the “1” formed from adidas’s iconic three stripes merges with the starting “0” to create the striking “10,” symbolizing the long history of cooperation between the two parties. adidas will continue to support runners with professional gear and technology, helping them embody the spirit of “Breakthrough, Never Stop Competing” as they and the Shanghai Half Marathon take a new step forward together toward a farther future.
As the title sponsor, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank has always been the steadfast partner of the Shanghai Half Marathon. At the launch event, Xu Qi, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, and Ye Ran, Head of the Party Committee Propaganda Department and Director of the Major Events Office at Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, jointly activated an installation symbolizing the new phase of cooperation. As the gift box was slowly opened, the newly revealed Shanghai Pudong Development Bank runner-themed credit card not only marked another refreshed upgrade in the partnership, but also symbolized how the fusion of finance and sport will spark vibrant new energy, continually pushing the boundaries of service and innovation.
At the end of the press conference, the event reached its climax.Xu Qi, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau; Zhou Jin, Vice President of Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co., Ltd.; Liu Qi, Director of the Competition Division, Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau; Zhao Ningfeng, Director of the Sports Division, Publicity Department of the Pudong New Area District Committee (District Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau); Bi Peiwen, President of Donghao Lansheng Convention & Exhibition Group Co., Ltd.; Ye Ran, Head of the Party Committee Publicity Department and Director of the Major Events Office, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Headquarters; Shen Kai, Senior Director of Sports Marketing, adidas Greater China and other leaders and guests took the stage together, to press the start device.
As the button was pressed, beams of light and shadow flowed like a time tunnel, sequentially illuminating the year markers from 2015 to 2026 before finally freezing on “2026.” This symbolizes the complete journey from the inaugural year to the 10th edition, and marks the official opening of the 2026 Shanghai Half Marathon, themed “Ten Years, Moving Forward Together.” At this moment, all eyes are on March 15, awaiting the gun at the foot of the Oriental Pearl Tower.
March 15, 7:00
Shanghai will once again witness a
a running feast ignited by tenacity and passion
looking forward to every runner
on this course that has etched a decade of memories
Run together and create your own moments of glory
