Tianhe to Host 2026 Vertical Marathon Finals

The 2026 International Vertical Marathon Series Finals will take place on Dec 6 at the 530-meter Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, marking the season's grand finale after nine stops in major cities across the country.

The 530-meter Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre in Tianhe. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

The race, spanning 109 floors and 3,160 steps, is dual-certified by the Asia Pacific Vertical Marathon Association (AVA) and the Towerrunning World Association (TWA), offering 200 AVA points and 120 TWA points, the highest among domestic events this season.

Athletes from across the country participated in a previous International Vertical Marathon Series event in Tianhe. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

A 3,000-yuan ($449) bonus will be awarded to anyone who can break the men's course record of 16:23, set by Ye Chaoyang in 2023, or the women's record of 19:50, held by Zhou Qinglan since 2019.

The total prize pool exceeds 75,000 yuan, including elite rankings, record-breaking awards and a group challenge that rewards runners finishing within 28 minutes.

The event will feature 50 elite and 750 recreational participants. Registration runs until noon on Nov 16.

A runner climbs the stairs during a previous edition of the International Vertical Marathon. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]