2026 Shantou Marathon Registration Guidelines

I. Event Basic Information

(1) Competition Date and Time

Sunday, December 20,2026, at 7:30 AM

（2）Race Start/Finish Line

Starting point: Haidian Road – Yuedong Information Building section

End point: Jinhuan South Road

（3）Competitive Events

1. Marathon (42.195 km)

2. Half-Marathon (21.0975 km)

(4) Event Scale

The event will attract 20,000 participants, including 5,000 runners for the marathon and 15,000 runners for the half-marathon.

2、Participation Guidelines

(1) Age Requirement

1. Marathon event: Age 20 years or older (born on or before January 1, 2006);

2. Half-Marathon Category: Participants must be aged 18 years or older (born on or before January 1, 2008);

Note: Participants aged 70 years or older (born on or before December 20,1956) must have the "Participation Declaration" jointly signed by a direct family member.

(2) Health Requirements

The marathon is a high-load, high-intensity, long-distance competitive sport and also a high-risk athletic event that places significant demands on the participants' physical condition; therefore, participants should be in good health and have a solid foundation of long-term running practice or training experience. Participants should select an appropriate event for registration based on their own physical condition and capabilities. Individuals with the following conditions or who have underlying medical conditions are not eligible to participate in this competition:

1. Patients with congenital heart disease or rheumatic heart disease;

2. Patients with hypertension or cerebrovascular diseases;

3. Patients with myocarditis or other cardiac diseases;

4. Patients with coronary artery disease or severe cardiac arrhythmias;

5. Diabetic patients with elevated or decreased blood glucose levels;

6. Individuals who have suffered from a cold or experienced abnormal body temperature within two weeks prior to the competition date;

7. Individuals who have consumed excessive alcohol or experienced insufficient sleep the night before the competition;

8. Pregnant women;

9. Individuals who are not suitable for vigorous physical activity during the rehabilitation period following surgery or illness;

10. Individuals presenting with symptoms such as fever, dry cough, fatigue, diminished sense of smell or taste, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, conjunctivitis, myalgia, or diarrhea;

11. Patients with other medical conditions that make them unsuitable for long-distance athletic events.

The Organizing Committee recommends that all participants undergo a medical examination at a hospital with a Grade II, Class A or higher accreditation prior to the event. The examination should primarily include blood pressure measurement, a routine electrocardiogram (ECG), or a 24-hour dynamic ECG monitoring or a treadmill exercise test (any one of these three items is sufficient). If the participant has abnormally high blood pressure or significant ECG abnormalities (e.g., pronounced bradycardia), an echocardiogram should be performed additionally. The ECG and echocardiogram cannot be used interchangeably. Participants are requested to conduct a self-assessment based on their medical examination report to confirm that their physical condition is suitable for long-distance running before registering for the event. During the competition, any personal injury or property loss resulting from the participant's own physical condition or other personal reasons shall be the sole responsibility of the participating athlete.

(3) All participants must submit a signed "Participation Declaration" before collecting their entry materials.

(4) Candidates not eligible for registration

1. Athletes who have been subject to a suspension penalty by World Athletics or the Chinese Athletics Association.

2. Athletes who have been subject to a competition suspension penalty imposed by the Organizing Committee due to violation of the relevant regulations governing the various events hosted by the Committee.

(5) Participation Eligibility Requirements

1. Marathon Event: Applicants must have at least one marathon or two half-marathon finisher times from an online or offline competition within the 24 months preceding their registration; a valid competition certificate (for online or offline events) must be uploaded; screenshots of race trajectories are not accepted.

2. Half-marathon event: Applicants must have recorded either two 10-kilometer races or one half-marathon or longer race result (whether in an online or offline competition) within the 24 months prior to registration; a valid race certificate (for either online or offline events) must be uploaded; screenshots of race trajectories are not accepted.

3. Elite athletes shall not register for the event as amateur participants; instead, they must contact the Organizing Committee via the email address stlongrun0628@126.com to register in accordance with the "China Athletics Association Road Running Event Management Measures."

III. Application Procedure

(1) Application Period

Registration period: from 10:00 on September 10,2026, to 20:00 on September 28,2026. Should the number of applicants exceed the maximum registration limit, eligibility for participation will be determined by drawing lots.

(2) Registration Platform

1. Shantou Marathon 2026 Official Website: https://www.stmls.cn/;

2. Digital Heartbeat App;

3. Maramara App;

4. Gaode Maps APP;

5. First Track APP;

(3) Application Fee (RMB)

(4) Return and Modification Service

During the registration period – from 10:00 on September 10 to 20:00 on September 28, before the registration deadline – participants may apply for a refund online within five days of successfully completing their registration and payment. No refund or change-of-arrangement services will be accepted after this five-day period has expired.

(5) Direct Target Recipients

1. Athletes who participated in Category A athletics events organized by the Chinese Athletics Association between January 1, 2025 (inclusive) and the application deadline, and whose finishing times in the individual marathon or half-marathon events met the "Elite Category for Amateur Athletes" performance standard.

(Results shall be subject to the performance data available on the official China Marathon website: https://www.runchina.org.cn/)

2. Participants who secured a direct entry slot for the 2023 Shantou Marathon must have achieved a qualifying time in the 2023 Shantou Marathon as follows:

Male marathon time: 03:45:00

Women's marathon time: 04:00:00

IV. Application Process

1. Visit the official website of the 2026 Shantou Marathon at https://www.stmls.cn/

2. Register and log in to the registration system, then navigate to the Member Center to complete your competition profile;

3. Access the registration portal, verify and confirm that your registration information is accurate and complete before proceeding with registration. Additionally, upload a valid academic certificate for the selected program (the scores submitted during registration will not be used as a basis for zone assignment).

4. Carefully read the "Participation Declaration" for the 2026 Shantou Marathon; sign your name and confirm your registration as required, complete the payment, and then await notification of the draw results.

5. Upon successful selection, participants will be granted eligibility to compete and will be notified via SMS. Participants may also check their status on the official website;

6. For participants who do not win a spot, the Organizing Committee will refund the registration fee to their payment account via the original payment method within seven working days after the draw concludes.

V. Collection of Competition Materials

(1) For the collection of your race materials, please refer to the "Material Collection Guidelines for the 2026 Shantou Marathon" published by the Organizing Committee on the official Shantou Marathon website and its official WeChat public account. On the day of the event, there will be no on-site material collection; therefore, please plan your itinerary accordingly. When collecting your race materials, participants must meet all participation requirements set forth by the Organizing Committee.

(2) The Organizing Committee reserves the right not to issue competition materials to participants who do not meet the eligibility requirements or who have submitted false documentation or materials, and shall not refund the registration fee.

(3) This competition does not offer a mailing service for participant kits.

VI. Competition Uniforms

All participants may select their competition garment size when submitting their registration information; the competition garments will be distributed at the item collection site. For this event, participants are only permitted to wear standard athletic clothing or the competition uniforms provided by the Organizing Committee. It is prohibited to wear overly revealing or vulgar attire, clothing featuring unauthorized slogans or patterns, equipment containing hazardous props, or any other unusual clothing that could compromise the safety of others; furthermore, any content promoting political, religious, or racial agendas is strictly prohibited.

VII. Special Reminder

(1) Participants are requested to carefully and truthfully complete their personal information and contact details, so that the Organizing Committee may purchase insurance for the participants and promptly and accurately send all relevant event information to them.

(2) The Organizing Committee will verify the eligibility of participants报名ing for the Marathon and Half-Marathon events; if a participant's qualifications do not meet the requirements specified in the Organizing Committee's "Competitive Regulations," the Committee reserves the right to reject such participant's registration. Should any participant have questions, they are encouraged to contact the Organizing Committee by telephone at their earliest convenience. The Committee will verify the authenticity of all submitted information; should any instance of false reporting be detected, the participant's eligibility to compete will be revoked.

(3) For the relationship between the emergency contact listed in the application form and the applicant, it is recommended to select one of the following direct family relationships: parent, spouse, child, or sibling. The emergency contact cannot be a participant in this competition or a participant in any other marathon event on the same day;

(4) If the applicant fails to participate in the competition after being successfully selected, the registration fee will not be refunded; the selected spot is exclusively for the applicant's participation and cannot be transferred;

(5) To protect the rights and interests of event sponsors, except for sponsors designated by the Organizing Committee, no promotional materials whatsoever – including but not limited to flags, banners, balloons, models, or other items – shall be displayed along the entire 2026 Shantou Marathon route. Any such prohibited items shall be confiscated, and the violator shall be disqualified from participating in the event;

(6) All forms of fraudulent participation are prohibited, including but not limited to proxy running, unauthorized participation, forging race numbers or bibs, fraudulent running, or any other conduct that violates the spirit of sportsmanship. In the event of any such violation, the Organizing Committee will impose penalties on the violators in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Competitive Regulations" for this event, depending on the severity of the offense, and will report such cases to the Chinese Athletics Association for additional sanctions; where such violations cause significant economic losses or negative social impact to the event, the Organizing Committee reserves the right to hold the relevant parties accountable and initiate legal proceedings. For any unforeseen incidents arising from causes beyond the control of the Organizing Committee, the relevant parties shall bear full responsibility;

(7) Pre-competition item collection must be done in person; proxy collection is not permitted;

(8) The Organizing Committee strongly advises marathon and half-marathon runners to register through just one of the aforementioned registration platforms; please do not register on multiple platforms simultaneously.

VIII. Invoice Issuance

Once the lottery results are announced, please scan the QR code below to enter your invoice information. After verifying the details, our staff will issue an electronic general invoice and send it to the email address provided by the participant. Please do not submit the invoice information more than once!

Invoice information collection deadline: December 30,2026, at 17:00

VIII. Contact Information

1. Contact number: 0754-88282020

2. Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00–11:30 AM and 2:00–5:30 PM (The office is closed on public holidays and weekends).

3. Official email: stlongrun0628@126.com

4. Official WeChat Public Account: Shantou Marathon

The 2026 Shantou Marathon Organizing Committee reserves the right of final interpretation of these Registration Guidelines; any matters not covered herein shall be addressed by separate notice.

2026 Shantou Marathon Organizing Committee