Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China
The Baotou Marathon draws approximately 8,000 finishers each June on an urban road in Baotou, China. Dry air and plateau exposure make the race feel tougher than the profile suggests. The course passes broad Inner Mongolian avenues, parks, and open industrial-city landscapes under huge skies. Thin air at altitude is the main pacing challenge despite a flat layout.
Baotou Marathon is a certified 42.195 km (26.2 mile) marathon — the standard World Athletics marathon distance.
The next Baotou Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, 6 June 2027 with a 8:00 am start. The certified course covers 42.195 km (26.2 miles) with 100 m of climbing on a high altitude flat layout.
Starts and finishes in Baotou's central district. The course passes broad Inner Mongolian avenues, parks, and open industrial-city landscapes under huge skies. Very flat at high altitude. Moderate terrain throughout.
The Baotou Marathon course is high altitude flat over 42.195 km (26.2 miles). Runners cover 100 metres of climbing and 95 metres of descent, with a net climb of 5 metres from start to finish.
The Baotou Marathon uses a lottery or ballot through baotou.marathon.org.cn, with registration windows that typically open several months before the June race. Domestic applicants register via the official marathon.org.cn portal and demand routinely exceeds the mass-participation cap of roughly 8k runners. International runners must monitor the official site for overseas entry channels and health-credential requirements, as places fill quickly once the window opens.
Last updated 18 July 2026. Edition dates and course details are reviewed regularly.
Other races closest to Baotou.
The Hohhot Marathon draws approximately 10k finishers each May on an urban road in Hohhot, China. Altitude and dry air matter more here than hills do. The course passes Mongolian-style civic spaces, wide avenues, and open skies on the Inner Mongolian plateau. Thin air at altitude is the main pacing challenge despite a flat layout.
Next race: Sunday, 2 May 2027
The Shijiazhuang Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons, drawing approximately 12k finishers each April on an urban road in Shijiazhuang, China. Its straightforward flat layout gives runners few terrain surprises. The route passes broad Hebei boulevards, civic plazas, and city parks built on the North China Plain. The course is very flat throughout.
Next race: Sunday, 4 April 2027
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