广州马拉松 (Guangzhou Marathon) takes place on Sun, Dec 20, 2026 in Guangzhou, China. The main route is 42.2 km.
- Date
- Sun, Dec 20, 2026
- Start
- Guangzhou 🇨🇳
- Distance
- 42.2 km
- Climbing
- 30 m
- Level
- Open to all
World Athletics Gold Label race of over 20,000 runners along the Pearl River and Guangzhou’s modern skyline. — 42.195 / 21.1 km
What this race demands
Guangzhou Marathon demands sustained running endurance over a flat 42.2 km course along the Pearl River during December.
Aerobic endurance
Covering the full 42.2 km marathon distance requires a high volume of aerobic conditioning and the ability to maintain a steady running pace for hours.
Musculoskeletal durability
With only 30 m of elevation gain, the course is exceptionally flat, placing repetitive, uniform loading on the same muscle groups throughout the race.
Target 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour to sustain energy output across the full duration of the marathon.
What would it take you?
Pick the level closest to yours for an estimate of finish time on this course and the training a solid preparation needs.
Estimated finish
3:45–4:30
Peak-week training
5–7 h/week
A model estimate from distance, climbing and level, not a promise. Conditions, drafting and pacing move it.
IntervalCoach turns those weekly hours into a concrete plan built around your actual fitness. Start with this race as your goal
Your road to race day
Race day at 广州马拉松 (Guangzhou Marathon) is 16 weeks away. This is how a coach divides that time. The first phase starts now.
01Base4 weeks · Aug 31, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026
Aerobic foundation: mostly steady endurance work that grows the aerobic engine and the durability the later phases stand on.
02Build6 weeks · Sep 28, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026
Progressive overload: training load climbs in waves, with harder weeks stacked on the base and planned recovery weeks that let the gains land.
03Peak3 weeks · Nov 9, 2026 – Nov 29, 2026
The hardest weeks of the plan: race-specific intensity at nearly full training load, sharpening exactly what this race asks for.
04Taper2 weeks · Nov 30, 2026 – Dec 13, 2026
Volume drops while intensity stays: short, sharp efforts keep the legs awake as fatigue drains away.
05Race week1 week · Dec 14, 2026 – Dec 20, 2026
Openers, rest and logistics. The work is done; the job now is arriving fresh.
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