Haikou Marathon has confirmed its 2026 date: 27 December, starting from Riyue Square in Hainan's capital. The field is 20,000 runners — 5,000 in the marathon and 15,000 in the half — with registration opening shortly.
The announcement drew an immediate question from Chinese runners: in most provinces the capital-city marathon carries the top A grade, so why is Haikou listed a step below?
It is not a sign that the race is poorly run, and the field has not been cut. Three practical facts explain where the race sits today.
Race facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Race day | Sunday 27 December 2026 |
| Start area | Riyue Square (日月广场), Haikou |
| Field size | 20,000 — 5,000 marathon, 15,000 half marathon |
| Registration | Opening soon; entry is first come, first served |
| Grade | C-class for the 2026 edition |
| Official channel | Haikou Marathon site and the organisers' WeChat account |
Why a C-class label — three reasons
1. The race has only just returned
Haikou Marathon was founded in 2015, stopped after the 2019 edition and did not return until 2025 — a four-year gap.
A race coming back from that kind of interruption normally restarts at the lower tier and climbs to B and then A over several seasons. For a race that has just rebuilt its organisation, getting a full field round the course safely matters more than a grade on paper.
2. The A-class bar has not been cleared yet
Chinese marathons are graded by the Chinese Athletics Association, and the bar has risen as the domestic calendar has grown.
The top A grade is not only about the course, the organisation and the medical and logistics plan. It also asks for a record of continuous, stable editions, clean records in past draw and anti-fraud checks, and a published timing and results system. A race that has been back for one year does not yet have that history — a matter of time rather than of ability.
3. The race is pitched at the city, not the national circuit
Lower-tier races in China tend to major on local character and mass participation, and that is exactly the current plan in Haikou: build a tourism card for Hainan, foreground the coconut-lined coast and the island-city landscape, and put the experience of everyday runners first.
The race is filed at provincial level rather than seeking national A-class certification immediately. The sequence is deliberate — build local goodwill and a solid operation first, then go for the higher grade once the organisation has matured.
Four ways to spend race weekend in Haikou
For most runners the grade is a label; the city is the reason to travel. If you are flying in for 27 December, give yourself a day or two.
-
Qilou Old Street — a district of century-old arcaded buildings in the Nanyang style. The colonnades and the light make it the most photographed corner of the city.
-
Yundong Library — a white pavilion set right on the waterfront. Go for sunrise or sunset: the sea, the sky and a reading room with nothing between you and the horizon.
-
Sky Mountain — the viewing platform above the city; on a clear day the whole bay is in front of you, and the wind takes the edge off the humidity.
-
A seafront run — any stretch of the Haikou coast works for an easy shakeout. Bring someone to take the photo; this is the run your club will ask about.
What happens next
Registration has not opened yet. Watch the official channel rather than resale sites, and if the trip is already decided, book the hotel now — late December is high season on Hainan, and the field is large.
Would you take this on as your final race of the year?
Sources and further reading
- Original article: "定档12月27日！省会海口马拉松官宣，为啥还是C类赛事？" — Mengxi Marathon Guide (WeChat)
- Haikou Marathon official site
- Chinese Athletics Association — race management notices and certification
- A short guide to marathon race grades (CAA, World Athletics, AIMS)
Curated and translated from the WeChat account 「梦汐跑马指南」, published 26 October 2026. Images belong to the original author and the race organisers; race details are subject to the organisers' official announcements.