On March 9, Huai'an held the first meeting of the organizing committee for the 2026 Huai'an Marathon at Xiyou World of Adventure and Grand Canal Marathon Series (Huai'an Station). The meeting announced the overall plan for this event and focused on introducing the event overview, organization, security, emergency response, and video services.

Since the first Huai'an Marathon was held in 2021, this event has become a landmark project for Huai'an to promote city-wide fitness, boost the integration of culture and tourism, and enhance the city's capability. In 2025, the Huai'an Marathon not only attracted 20,000 runners from 20 countries and regions but also brought direct economic benefits of RMB 120 million and output benefits of RMB 278 million. The total number of views on various online platforms across the country exceeded 550 million.

The 2026 Huai'an Marathon will be held on April 12, with a total of 15,000 participants, including 8,000 runners for the full marathon and 7,000 runners for the half marathon. To ensure the branding continuity of the event, this year's event will continue to use the promotional theme of "Splendid Huai'an Along the Grand Canal" and the slogan of "Run Towards Happiness." The competition route remains unchanged, starting from the Huai'an Municipal Government Affairs Service Center and ending at the Huai'an Sports Center.

This competition will strictly follow the relevant regulations of the Chinese Athletics Association on the distribution of race supplies and the work instructions of provincial-level regulatory units, scientifically set up sufficient supply channels, and ensure that the flow of athletes to the stretching area after crossing the finish line is standardized and orderly. In terms of supply station planning, the first supply station will be 5 kilometers from the starting line, and there will be a total of 19 supply stations—one supply station every 2.5 kilometers—providing drinking water, food, sponges, and other items, as well as medical services.