The Shanghai Marathon Organizing Committee has just announced the lottery results for this year’s race. Marking its 30th anniversary, the Shanghai Marathon expanded the field to 30,000 runners this year — a 30% increase over last year — giving more people a chance in the draw. So, did your Shanghai Marathon little boy “Benben” stand up for you this year?

A record number of 381,988 people entered this year’s Shanghai Marathon lottery; the draw acceptance rate was 6%, a further decline from last year.

This year the Shanghai Marathon advanced to the second phase of the World Marathon Majors qualification assessment, and its internationalization is clear: 13,973 international runners from 116 countries and regions registered. Runners from South Korea, Russia, the United States, Singapore and Malaysia occupy the top five positions.

Among those who drew spots, women account for 23%; they will showcase the strength and spirit of female runners on the Shanghai Marathon course.

By age distribution, the 36–45 age group is the main cohort, with the 46–55 and 26–35 groups in second and third place respectively.

The Shanghai Marathon’s 30th anniversary coincides with the Lunar Year of the Horse: this year 1,826 runners born in the Year of the Horse drew spots, a coincidence that adds special meaning to their participation.

In addition, 69 participants will celebrate their birthday on this year’s race day — no doubt the Shanghai Marathon will be their best birthday present.

A final reminder to all successful applicants: the payment deadline is July 20 at 12:00. Failure to pay by the deadline will be treated as forfeiture of your registration, and you will not be able to obtain a 2026 Shanghai Marathon entry by any other means, so don’t forget to complete your payment!

Did you get a Shanghai Marathon spot today? How many times will this be that you’ve run on the Shanghai Marathon course?