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The following is a list of marathon races located in Asia and the Middle East.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2022) |
The following is a list of marathon races located in Asia and the Middle East.
| Symbol/Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Bold | Bold faced races are included in the World Marathon Majors |
| Platinum | |
| Gold | |
| Elite | |
| Label | |
| (year) | Defunct |
Some of these marathons can be run in conjunction with shorter races.
The Shanghai International Marathon is an annual marathon in late autumn hosted by Shanghai, China, since 1996. The marathon is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics.
The Beijing Marathon is an annual marathon race held around October in Beijing, People's Republic of China, since 1981. The race begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes in Celebration Square in Olympic Green. The full marathon is the only distance offered.
The Harmony Geneva Marathon for UNICEF is an annual marathon running event held in Geneva, Switzerland. It draws about 9,100 participants every May. Apart from the marathon, there is also a half marathon, a Relay Marathon, a 20 km Handbike and wheelchair race, a 10 km race held on the same day, and races exclusively for women (5 km) and children held the day before. A time limit of six hours and a half applies to the main event.
The Hong Kong Marathon, sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, is an annual marathon race held in January or February in Hong Kong. In addition to the full marathon, a 10 km run and a half marathon are also held. Around 70,000 runners take part each year across all events.
The Riga Marathon is an annual road marathon held in Riga, Latvia, since 1991. A flat, single-lap marathon course in the Baltics' largest city. The marathon course has been measured and certified by AIMS, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races and is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. All courses are traffic-free. Rimi Riga Marathon is one of the fastest-growing marathons in Northern Europe. In 2019, there were 25 659 participants over five different distances from 82 countries.
The Tallinn Marathon is an annual road marathon, held in Tallinn, Estonia. It is held in September and is the biggest annual marathon in Estonia. Both the marathon and the half marathon held the day before are categorized as Elite Label Road Races by World Athletics.
World Athletics Label Road Races are races that World Athletics designates as the "leading road races around the world." The classification was first introduced for the 2008 running season, upon the suggestion of the IAAF Road Running Commission. The races are split into three categories: marathons, half marathons and other. Within the "other" category are traditional road race distances, over which World Athletics world records can be set, along with some "Classical races", which span unusual distances. The Labels are considered a prestigious award by race organisers, and include the seven World Marathon Majors. Platinium Label races have the strictest requirements, followed by Gold, then Elite, and general Label Races. All categories require what the World Athletics describes as an international elite field, that requires at least five nations for the highest labels to be represented by runners with times faster than the World Athletics's guidelines. Additionally, the race course must be closed to vehicular traffic, and measured to the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) standard, with full electronic timing used to generate the results.
The Valencia Marathon is an annual marathon road running event hosted by Valencia, Spain, since 1981. It is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics. The race is organised by the Valencian sports club SD Correcaminos, which also organises the annual Valencia Half Marathon.
The Guangzhou Marathon is an annual marathon race held in December in the city of Guangzhou, China, since 2012. The marathon is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics.
The Nanjing Marathon is a World Athletics bronze label road race organized by the Chinese Athletics Association, Jiangsu Provincial Sports Bureau, and Nanjing Provincial People's Government.
The Bali Marathon is an annual road-based marathon hosted in the Gianyar Regency on the island of Bali in Indonesia. The current version of the marathon has been held since 2012, although the first marathon to be held regularly on Bali was inaugurated in 1999. The marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race and a member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.
The Doha Marathon is an annual road-based marathon hosted by Doha, Qatar, since 2013. The marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race. During the race weekend, a half marathon, a 10K race, and a 5K race are also offered.
The 2023 World Athletics Label Road Races are road running competitions scheduled for 2023 that have met a certain standard for World Athletics to include the race in its Label Road Races program. The list of races so labelled for the 2023 calendar year was released on 4 November 2022. The list contained 238 races, nearly 20 more than in 2022, and included 14 Platinum Label, 38 Gold Label, 66 Elite Label, and 120 Label races. World Athletics stated that the additional funding afforded by the Label Road Races program would allow the Athletics Integrity Unit to improve the system it uses to detect drug use in competitions.
The 2023 Berlin Marathon was the 49th edition of the annual marathon race in Berlin, held on Sunday, 24 September 2023. A Platinum Label marathon, it was the fourth of six World Marathon Majors events scheduled for 2023. Almost 48,000 runners from 156 countries took part in the event.
The Marathon du Gabon is an annual road-based marathon hosted by Libreville, Gabon, since 2013. The marathon is a World Athletics Label Road Race. During the race weekend, a half marathon, a 10K race, and a 5K race are also offered.
The Astana Marathon is an annual road-based marathon hosted by Astana, Kazakhstan, since 2015. The marathon is a World Athletics Label Road Race and a member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. A 10K race is also held on the same day.
