Registration opens today for another municipal marathon

Just now — at 12:00 on August 19, 2026, registration for the 2026 Tianjin Marathon officially opened, with the race scheduled to gun on October 25. It will be a one-day double event on Zhong'ao Road, with Tianma and Chengma starting on the same day.

In 2025, Tianma was successfully upgraded to an A-level event certified by the Chinese Athletics Association. This year's competition regulations will be aligned with World Athletics Gold Label standards. That means the event will meet the highest international standards across the board — from elite athlete invitations and course specifications to medical protection.

This golden October, the banks of the Haihe River will welcome tens of thousands of runners — are you ready for this autumn rendezvous?

Registration timeline

Participant requirements: full marathon entrants must be at least 20 years old on race day; half marathon entrants must be at least 18 years old.

Registration opens: 12:00 on August 19, 2026

Registration deadline: 18:00 on August 24, 2026

Registration channels: the Tianjin Marathon official website (www.tianjin-marathon.com), and official partner channels including the MaLaMaLa APP, Shuzi Xindong APP, and the “Jincheng Fitness Champion Club” mini-program

Registration fees: full marathon RMB 200 per person; half marathon RMB 150 per person — unchanged from recent years.

Waitlist: if you are not selected in the draw, you can follow the waitlist mechanism. Spots released by selected participants who miss the payment deadline will be reallocated.

New green initiatives

Perks upgraded

Tianma has always placed strong emphasis on environmental protection. In past editions the organizers introduced finish towels made from recycled materials (reprocessed from multiple plastic bottles) and replaced disposable raincoats with used-clothing recycling programs.

This year there's also a new option: a 'no-bag' green participation channel. Runners who choose this option will receive a special bib, and after finishing they will receive customized commemorative items, giving the experience plenty of ceremony.

Every year Tianma is full of perks: free admission to scenic areas, runner-only queues at landmark check-in points, and some long-standing local businesses may offer exclusive runner benefits.

This year the perks are upgraded again — the “Jinyun” cultural-tourism gift pack, a food-discount “Ticket Stub Program” and surprise blind boxes are all ready.

In 2025 the Ticket Stub Discount Program linked with Tianma brought together more than 160 merchants and launched over 200 benefits. This year’s exclusive activities will be fully upgraded:

Expand the merchant matrix, extending benefit categories to specialty food, cultural performances, city tours, Tianjin-flavored souvenirs, and more, covering all scenarios from race-day supplies to sightseeing and shopping;

In addition, from August to November 2026 the organizers will run six stops of the popular “Tianma Four Seasons Family Run,” each hosting 1,000 family teams. Registration for these stops will close at 18:00 on August 20.

Race information

Race time: the full marathon will start at 7:30 AM on October 25, 2026; the half marathon will start 30 minutes later (8:00).

Total event size: 30,000 participants, of which 20,000 are for the full marathon (an increase of 2,000 from last year), and 10,000 for the half marathon.

Course: the classic city-center route will be used.

Start: Tianjin Cathedral (Youyi Road)

Finish: full marathon (Binshui West Road, Tianjin Olympic Center); half marathon (Haihe East Road, Tianjin Jinmao Hui)

“Smart Tianma” is also a major highlight this year. Full-course intelligent positioning services and the tracking system are back online, allowing real-time tracking of runners' course trajectories so family and friends can monitor runner status and race progress at any time.

Past lottery results

Over the past three years, Tianma's registration numbers have seen a 'triple jump,' rising from 95,000 to 121,000 and then to 158,000 — a cumulative increase of about 67% over three years; the event's total capacity has also inched up from 30,000 to 33,000.

The overall selection rate dropped from 31.7% in 2023 to 20.9% in 2025. Will Tianma's registration numbers hit a new high in 2026? With the event scale adjusted back to 30,000 this year, what will the final selection rate be?

Good luck with the lottery — see you on the course on October 25!

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Text / Editor: MP

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Visuals: Max

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Registration opens today for another municipal marathon — are you ready?