Typical race-weekend conditions
Mild & dry- High / Low
- 21° / 10°
- Humidity
- 50%
- Rainy days
- 21%
Averages from ~10 years of history around race day.
Know before you go
- Distance
- 42.2 km (26.2 miles)
- ✈️ From London
- ~11h21
- 🕐 Time
- +7h vs UK
- 💷 Money
- £1 ≈ ¥9.09
- 🗣 Language
- Mandarin Chinese
- 🌫 Air quality
- Moderate
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+
- Mixed
- 🛡 Safety
- Moderate
Country-level indices: LGBTQ+ via Equaldex · safety via Global Peace Index 2025 . Air quality is recent PM2.5; money is indicative.
The route
The Great Wall Marathon is 42.2 km, not the 21.1 km half. Starts and finishes at Yin and Yang Square in the Huangyaguan valley, twice climbing onto the Great Wall to tackle 5,164 stone steps between village and countryside sections. Brutally hilly and one of the world's hardest marathons. The half is a separate 21.1 km race on the same weekend.
Entry fee
Indicative entry is £550 per runner. Confirm the current bib price on the official site; ballot, charity, and tour prices can differ. The weekend total (hotel, travel, extras) sits in the estimator, not in the bib price.
Where to stay
Most runners book the organiser's package hotels near Huangyaguan; independent travellers often base in central Beijing before transferring out.
Getting there
Fly into Beijing (PEK or PKX), then it is roughly a 3-hour coach transfer to the Huangyaguan section of the wall, usually arranged within the race package.
That weekend
The event includes a compulsory course inspection day; extend your trip for the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and Mutianyu wall sections in Beijing.
Sample 4-day trip
Arrive, explore, race, then head home. A proper weekend, not a rushed fly-by.
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Day 1: Arrive
Fly into Beijing (PEK or PKX). Most UK runners book the organiser package , which includes the coach transfer to Huangyaguan (~3 hours). Public transport to the wall section is not practical for race weekend.
If your package includes Beijing nights first, check into central Beijing and keep the evening gentle. Independent DIY logistics to Huangyaguan are hard: plan around the package.
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Day 2: Shakedown Run and Explore the City
Transfer to the Huangyaguan valley per your package schedule . Longer packages include a compulsory course inspection on the steps: treat it as part of the race, not a tourist stroll.
If you are still in Beijing, use the day for Forbidden City or Mutianyu trips before the coach out. Lay out trail shoes and hydration: 5,164 stone steps await.
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Day 3: Race Day
Starts and finishes at Yin and Yang Square with two brutal climbs onto the wall. This is not a road marathon: manage effort on the steps and follow ranger instructions.
Celebrate with your package group. Most runners stay in organiser hotels near the course. There is no pop-out for public transport mid-race.
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Day 4: Final Day
Coach back to Beijing per your package. If time allows, one more wall or city visit before the long flight home.
Four nights reflects the package shape: Beijing, transfer, race, return. Budget for the organiser coach and compulsory inspection, not DIY trains.
