Getting In · Pilgrimage race
Great Wall Marathon
There is no elegant way to describe running the Great Wall. The steps are uneven, ancient, wildly variable in height, and there are 5,164 of them, and the marathon course sends you across them twice with a loop through Chinese farm villages in between.
- Distance
- 26.2 miPlus a half and 8.5K
- Steps
- 5,164Twice, on uneven stone
- Typical finish
- 6 to 8 hours
- Field
- ~2,500 across distances
- Entry
- Travel package only
- Best door
- Book a year out
The Great Wall Marathon at Huangyaguan is genuinely a bucket list race rather than a marathon that happens to be scenic. The Wall section is not runnable in any conventional sense: sections are so steep they require hands, some steps are ankle height and the next is thigh height, and by the second pass your quads are entirely gone. Between Wall sections you run through villages where locals line the route, and finishing times of six to eight hours are completely normal for runners who would run 3:30 on a road.
May in northern China can also be hot, which combines with the steps to produce one of the genuinely hard marathon days available anywhere.
How to get in
- Tour operatorOfficial travel packages
Entry is sold almost entirely through official tour operators as part of a multi-day package that includes accommodation, transfers, and a course inspection day. This is not a race you can simply register for and fly to.
- Open entryLimited direct entry
Some direct entries exist depending on the year and your country of residence, but package entry is the normal route and the practical one.
Training for stairs, not miles
- Train steps and steep descents. Stadium stairs, hill repeats with a walking descent, and eccentric quad work. Flat marathon fitness does very little here.
- Walk the Wall sections on race day. Everybody does. Power-hike them efficiently rather than trying to run and blowing up.
- Do the inspection day. The package includes a chance to walk the Wall section beforehand. Take it seriously; knowing what's coming changes your pacing.
- Prepare for heat. May can be well into the 80s with no shade on the Wall.
Questions runners actually ask
Can I just register for the Great Wall Marathon?
Generally no. Entry is sold through official travel packages that include accommodation and transfers, and those sell out roughly a year in advance.
How long does it take?
Six to eight hours is typical for runners who would run a three-and-a-half hour road marathon. The 5,164 steps, taken twice, dominate the day.
Go to the source
Entry rules, dates, standards, fees, and odds change every single year, and the interesting races change them the most. Use this guide to build the plan; use the official site to confirm the details before you book anything.
If this is your kind of thing
Need the races in between? The hard part of a bucket list year is everything else on the calendar: the qualifier, the tune-up, the long run with a bib on.