With a total distance of 21.0975 kilometers, this year's route covers scenic spots, including the Lujiazui area, the 2010 World Expo site and the New Bund (Qiantan Area), ending at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center on Yongyao Road.

After last year's race, the Shanghai Half Marathon was awarded the Gold Label Road Race by the World Athletics, making Shanghai the only city in the world, apart from Valencia, Brazil, to have both a Platinum Label Road Race - Shanghai Marathon - and a Gold Label Road Race.