Shanghai, CN · November 2026
Shanghai Marathon
- Distance
- 42.20 km
- Elevation gain
- 27 m
- Typical temp
- 11–19 °C
- Cutoff
- 7:00:00
The short version
A fair test with a few teeth
- Most runners crack near km 32 — fuel before km 30, not at it.
Next edition
29 November 2026
Typical race-day conditions
11–19 °C
We lock the real forecast into your plan in race week.
Course difficulty
ModerateDriven by a flat, fast course with mild conditions. Harder than Nike Melbourne Marathon (4.6), easier than Berlin Marathon (4.7) — tougher than 29% of the races we cover.
Race data quality
Low confidence
Auto-generated from GPS route + elevation data
Course route imported from a community GPX; race date, start time and climate are NOT set and fall back to generic defaults until verified.
Elevation profile
Route-derived (GPX + DEM)
Paid strategy guardrail
Official race packet remains source of truth
- distanzrunning/gpx (community course route)
- Race month per official race calendar
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive (2022–2024)
Step 1 · Free preview
See the course-adjusted plan first
Enter one recent result. The preview returns course cost, first splits, and fuel target from the deterministic engine and the current course data model.
VDOT
49.1
Estimate
3:16:30
Course cost
+2:46
Fuel target
60 g/h
60 g/h needs a trained gut — practise it in training, never try new fuelling on race day. Your full plan tunes this to your experience.
First 5 km preview
full race locked
- km 15:14
- km 24:39
- km 34:46
- km 44:49
- km 54:46
First race free · then €7 Race Pass · no monthly subscription
Uses an approximate course model; verify final logistics against the official race packet.
Step 2 · Your full Shanghai Marathon plan
The preview shows the shape. The plan races it for you.
Course preview
Free
what you see now
- Difficulty score & course data
- Course-cost & toughest km
- Your first full plan free, ever
Race Pass
€7
one-time, this race
- Every km split, weather-adjusted
- Nutrition & fluid timeline
- Heat, wind & sun race tactics
- Danger zones + watch file (GPX)
- Race-week forecast & reminders
Annual
€19
per year, every race
- Everything in Race Pass
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- Re-plan as your fitness changes
No subscription required — one race is a one-off €7. See a full sample plan →
Continue with approximate course data →Course elevation
27 m total gain · 18 m loss · max 28 m, min -2 m.
Fly the course
Sun & shade
Sun in your eyes
12 km
Sun on your back
8 km
Side / overhead
22 km
No strong glare or overhead-sun stretches at this start time — the sun stays mostly to the side.
Approximate — solar position from the route geometry and a 09:00 start (timezone estimated from longitude), for a mid-pack finishing time.
Race overview
How hard is this course?
Reference table — how the Shanghai Marathon compares to a flat sea-level course for four typical fitness levels. Computed from the route profile, mean course altitude, and typical race-week climate (15 °C / 76 % humidity). Your personal strategy uses your VDOT, per-km splits, nutrition timing, and the typical climate baseline for this static sample; paid strategies use Open-Meteo when a verified race date is inside the forecast window.
| Runner | Flat-course finish | Shanghai Marathon finish | Course cost | Adjusted pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (VDOT 35) | 4:16:08 | 4:19:47 | +1.4% | 6:09/km |
| Intermediate (VDOT 45) | 3:28:17 | 3:31:16 | +1.4% | 5:00/km |
| Trained (VDOT 50) | 3:10:41 | 3:13:24 | +1.4% | 4:35/km |
| Competitive (VDOT 60) | 2:43:24 | 2:45:44 | +1.4% | 3:56/km |
Reference nutrition
For a 70 kg runner finishing in 3:13:24 at 15 °C. Adjust to your weight and tolerance — these are ISSN-window targets, not prescriptions.
- Carbs / hour
- 60 g
- Total carbs
- 193 g
- Fluid / hour
- 640 ml
- Sodium / hour
- 500 mg
FAQ
Get your personalized strategy
The numbers above are samples. Sign up free and get the full Shanghai Marathon strategy from your VDOT, the current course model, Open-Meteo race-week forecast when available, and your nutrition preferences.
First race free · €7 per additional race · €19/yr for unlimited
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New to the marathon? Start with our marathon pacing strategy guide or run the VDOT calculator.