Great Wall of China Marathon 2025

Looking to combine a high-flying marathon with cultural discovery 🤓? You've come to the right place! We're taking you to the Great Wall of China Marathon, located about 70 km from the bustling city of Beijing. While you won't be running through the Chinese capital, you'll have the honor of running on one of the Seven Wonders of the World! 🌎 Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, participating in this race is sure to make you the envy of all 😝. First held in the year 2000, this race quickly earned a spot among the world's toughest marathons 🥵, as well as one of the most beautiful 🤩.

Whether you’re up for a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or a full marathon, there's a distance for every runner! 🏃‍♂️ With a starting elevation of over 1,000 meters ⛰️, you'll need to be in top shape 💪, as the average completion time for this mammoth race is 7.5 hours ⌚, compared to 4 hours for a road marathon! 🤯 The conditions in May will be perfect, making it just a bit easier to cross that finish line 🏁. If spring running 🌸 isn't your thing, you can opt for the autumn edition because yes, the Great Wall of China Marathon is a bi-annual event! 😉

If your legs have more to give after the race, extend your weekend 🧳 and discover more about the Great Wall! 🧠 It spans nearly 9,000 kilometers from East to West 🧭, so you won’t see it all, but three must-see sites 📍 are: Badaling, Mutianyu, and Simatai. If modern Chinese culture is more your style, a visit to the city of Beijing will suit your interests ☝️. Beware of its grandeur 😵‍💫, as the Chinese capital will keep surprising you: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and other gorgeous imperial gardens will leave you in awe! 💐 To indulge your taste buds, you'll easily find roast duck 🦆, rice, noodles 🍜, or Chinese dumplings at a market 🤤.

Grand, fantastic, impressive, unforgettable, and undeniably challenging. It's all here 😍. So lace up your best running shoes and come conquer one of humanity's greatest monuments! 🏃‍♀️