2026 DX Marathon Rules

CQ DX Marathon - Rules for 2026

Dates: January 1 — December 31, 2026

Log Deadline: January 5, 2027 (23:59Z)

The CQ DX Marathon is designed to promote DXing activity throughout the year. Credit is given for contacts on all ham bands (160-6 meters) including those not normally used for contesting (60, 30, 17 & 12 meters). Any QSOs are legitimate to claim including contesting QSOs as long as a single station location is maintained.

Summary of Changes 2025 vs 2026

There are a number of changes in the 2026 rules vs. those of 2025. These are summarized below:

We continue to emphasize the seriousness of the requirement to have a single operating station for entry into the program, i.e. remote stations are allowed but home station plus a remote station cannot be used in a single submission. Two separate submissions with a different call designation may be used for a home and remote station. The operating staff of DX Marathon consider violations of this rule as significant and will assess appropriate penalties if this rule is broken.
For 2026 as was the case for 2025, 100% of the participants will receive a “Certificate of Achievement.” This certificate will include the participants’ total score and will list a number of significant metrics reflecting how the participant did in various categories.
Some of the awards such as top country scores, top continent scores, and others will be retained and the winners will get a “special” certificate that is different from a participation certificate. These will not all be listed in the 2026 rules.
Should a participant wish to enter a submission in the Challenge category, no email registration will be required. As was the case in 2025, if a participant enters in the Challenge, they may also submit an entry into the regular DX Marathon Program in one of the classes (Unlimited, Limited, Formula, QRP). Two separate submissions will be required, one for The Challenge, and one for the regular DX Marathon.

Following are the complete 2026 rules:

Activity period

The CQ DX Marathon is a yearlong activity, beginning at 00:00 UTC January 1, 2026, and ending at 23:59 UTC December 31, 2026.

Frequencies and Disallowed Entries

Radio frequencies in the 160-6-meter bands are eligible including the 60m band and all WARC bands (30, 17 & 12 meters). All contacts must be made entirely over amateur radio frequencies without the use of repeaters or relays. Echolink, digital repeaters like DMR, All-Star, etc. will not be counted as legitimate contacts. Stations designating /AM (aeronautical mobile) will not be counted as legitimate contacts. Stations designating /MM (maritime mobile) located on a floating, undocked, or docked watercraft will not be counted as legitimate contact. QSOs made outside of the amateur radio frequency bands as authorized by the operator’s licensing authority (e.g., FCC allocations for US licenses) must not be claimed. Any such out-of-band contacts submitted will be disqualified and rejected from scoring.

All operations are allowed provided the station is operated from a single location. Multiple operating locations are disallowed.

Modes

Any modes for which the operator is licensed may be used. Popular modes seen in the DX Marathon include:

CW: Utilizes the International Morse Code
Phone: USB, LSB, DSB, FM (voice), AM
Digital: FT8, FT4, PSK, RTTY

General

Each participant in the DX Marathon program may submit one entry each year per operating location. Participants wishing to participate in single mode or single band categories must designate their submission as such. Without this designation, the submission will be considered as “all modes and bands” even if the contacts submitted are limited to a single band or mode. If the submission indicates a single mode or single band, the submissions may contain contacts in other modes or other bands, and they will be ignored. A participant may use up to two callsigns per station provided that the callsigns are clearly stated on the submission form. Both callsigns must be used at the same operating location using the equipment and antennas commensurate with their entered class.

Remote operation is permitted if all transmitters, receivers, and antennas are at a single physical location. A remote station in a different country than the entrant’s country of license must comply with all local laws and regulations of that country. Once a remote station is selected by the participant, the participant must use the same remote station for that year’s activity period. Participants must operate only those band segments allowed by their license privileges. The use of spotting networks is allowed for all classes. When referring to power, it shall be measured at the antenna feed point.

If an entrant operates from both a primary station and a remote station, they will be treated as separate entries. Each entry may be submitted provided they have different callsigns or a portable callsign designator. Entries that include contacts made with the assistance of remote receivers and/or transmitters, in addition to contacts from a primary station, are not permitted.

If the DX Marathon Program Administrator determines that a submission includes QSOs combined from more than one location, the participant may be suspended from the DX Marathon Program or at minimum the current year’s submission will not be scored. Decisions of the DX Marathon Program Administrator will be final.

Classes

There are six entry classes, “Unlimited”, “Limited”, “Formula 100W, “Formula Unlimited” “QRP Limited”, “QRP Unlimited” for the regular DX Marathon.

Unlimited

Unlimited Class allows entrants to use up to the maximum legal power output permitted on each band and the power permitted according to their operating license. Any antenna or combination of antennas may be used in this class.

Limited

Limited Class entrants are allowed a maximum output power of 100 watts. Antennas such as verticals or wire antennas, rotatable dipoles and arrays are allowed. Examples of wire antennas include wire dipoles, G5RV, Windoms, Off-center fed (OCF), and end-fed antennas. Any such antennas, whether vertical or wire, may not at any point be higher than 50 feet (15m) above ground level and shall not exceed 135 feet (41m) in length. If a sloping wire antenna is employed, the highest anchor point shall not exceed 50 feet (15m) above ground level. If two towers or trees are employed, the length and height requirements stated in this paragraph apply.

If a participant operates in a high-rise building structure, vertical and wire antennas are allowed on the roof of the structure (135 feet in length) and shall not exceed 50 feet above the rooftop level. Rotatable dipoles on top of multi-story buildings are allowed only if the height does not exceed 50 feet (15m) above ground level. Antennas in the classification of an “array” may be used. An array antenna means the use of driven element(s) and parasitic elements. Examples include Yagis, Hexbeams, Spider beams, and Cubical Quads. These antennas are limited to a height of 50 feet (15m) above ground level. Yagis are limited to 3 active elements and a boom length no greater than 16 feet (5m). Spider beams and Hexbeams have the 3-element restriction but do not have a boom length restriction. Rotatable dipoles for 30m and 40m are allowed in this class subject to the height restrictions stated above.

Formula 100W

Formula 100W Class entrants are allowed a maximum output power of 100 watts.

Antennas such as verticals or wire antennas are allowed. Examples of wire antennas include wire dipoles, G5RV, Windom, Off-center fed (OCF), and end-fed antennas. Any such antennas, whether vertical or wire, may not at any point be higher than 65 feet (20m) above ground level and shall not exceed 135 feet (41m) in length. If a sloping wire antenna is employed, the highest anchor point shall not exceed 65 feet (20m). If a participant lives in a high-rise structure, vertical and wire antennas will be allowed on the roof of the structure subject no higher than 50 feet above the roof level. The length restrictions of 135 feet (41m) shall apply.

Array antennas or rotatable dipoles may not be used in this class.

Formula Unlimited

All the rules associated with the Formula 100W apply except this class will allow output power up to the allowable output as defined by the operator’s license.

QRP Limited

The QRP Limited Class is allowed a maximum output power of 5 watts. Operators selecting the QRP Limited class may use any wire antenna with no restrictions on height or length. Vertical antennas are also allowed in this class, both single band and multi-band antennas. No array antennas of any type including yagis, hexbeams, quads, four squares, etc. are allowed in this class.

QRP Unlimited

The QRP Unlimited Class is allowed a maximum output power of 5 watts. Operators selecting the QRP Unlimited class may use any antenna they wish. There are no restrictions on antenna configuration, height, or length. Array antennas of any kind and any height may be used. Hexbeams, quads, stacked elements, and four squares are allowed in this class.

Special Note on Antennas for Above Classes:

If you are not certain if your antenna fits the description above within any class, please contact the DX Marathon Program Administrator for a ruling.

DX Marathon Challenge

In addition to the regular Marathon, the DX Marathon Challenge will allow participants to separately count the total number of entities and zones that they work in 2025 on the each of the amateur bands (8) including WARC (10M, 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M, 30M, 40M, 80M) in CW, Phone, or Digital modes

Participants in the Challenge can submit a separate entry for the regular DX Marathon (i.e. Unlimited, Limited, Formula, QRP). The Challenge total score will NOT BE USED TOWARDS THEIR CLUB SCORE. If they intend to contribute to a club score, they need to enter a separate entry for the regular DX Marathon. The Challenge Club high score and first runner up shall receive award plaques. Challenge scores will not be differentiated by power levels or antennas used. Those who choose to enter will work as many CQ DX Countries and zones as defined on our website on each of the above stated 8 bands. The winner (s) will be determined by adding the total number of DXCC Countries and zones worked on each band.

Scoring

Scoring is very simple: you score one point the first time you work in a new country/entity and one point for working a zone. Your score is determined by adding the country and zone points together. No multipliers are used in the DX Marathon Program.

Each country and zone count only once. A single QSO may count for both a country and a zone. Example: If in the year you work 238 countries and 37 zones, your score is 275. The CQ DX Countries List and the CQ Zone List constitute the official program lists and are available on the DX Marathon website. In the case of ties, the participant whose last scoring contact was earlier will be judged the winner. The decisions of the DX Marathon Program Administrator are final.

Submissions

Final submissions must be received no later than January 5, 2027. Submissions can be made any time during the year, and updated as many times as a participant wishes, using the submission tool found on the website. No extensions beyond the date of January 5, 2027 date will be granted. Late submittals will be scored and considered “check logs” and participants will not be eligible for awards. If your callsign changes during the year, or if you used a contest call sign at your station, please enter your primary and alternate call on the submission form. Otherwise, you will not receive credit for both callsigns used. All submissions are private and not made public. Submissions are made through the submission tool at https://entry.dxmarathon.com.

QSLs or any other form of QSO verification are not required. The participant is expected to claim contacts only from stations they have every reason to believe are legitimate, and only to claim contacts in which an accurate two-way exchange was clearly accomplished. Each contact for a claimed country or zone must be a solid contact. The station claiming a contact with a DX station is expected to have had his or her callsign fully and accurately received and transmitted by the other station. The DX Marathon scoring team reserves the right to verify any QSOs submitted by participants. Any source of verification may be used by the DX Marathon scoring team including the logs of DXpeditions. The DX Marathon staff encourages all participants to carefully check the accuracy of information on a claimed QSO before making their final submission. The DX Marathon administrative staff encourages participants to visit the website and carefully read the FAQ section and review the question “What are the best practices for submitting QSOs?”

There is also extensive information about particular DX calls, currently found under the “Resources” tab on the website. Your administrative staff spends significant time during the year trying to provide information to allow for your clean submission of QSOs. Please use these resources.

Special Note: The United Kingdom has relaxed its location rules for some call signs. G0ABC, G1XYZ, M3QRS, etc. can now be in any GD, GI, GJ, or GW location as well as G. There is no way to know when this is the case, and we believe that few stations employ these rules change with the UK. Meanwhile, GD5ABC still must be in GD, MW3QRS in GW, etc. For overall fairness, all G0ABC type calls will be scored as G, England, regardless of where they are located.

During the scoring process, the DX Marathon staff will review claimed QSOs that may be invalid, including but not limited to contacts with pirates, broken calls, or stations not operating in claimed countries. Zone errors of stations and incorrect DXCC prefixes continue to be an error source. Submissions for any of these errors shall not be counted in the participant’s score and result in a one point deduction per error.

Participants may be disqualified in cases of intentional fraud or poor sportsmanship. Every QSO may be subject to verification by the DX Marathon Program Administrator and his staff. Decisions/rulings of the DX Marathon Program Administrator are final.

Results

The final listing of official scores and winners will be published on the DX Marathon website. The claimed scores will be issued on the website within 30 days after scores are submitted in January. Final 2026 scores and results after verification will appear on the website around April 1, 2027.

Awards

Plaques

The DX Marathon will award plaques as follows:

Highest overall score in Unlimited Class
Highest overall score in Limited Class
Highest overall score in Formula Class (100W)
Highest overall score in the Formula Unlimited Class
Highest overall score in QRP
Highest overall score in the QRP Unlimited Class
Highest world overall CW only score
Highest overall CW scores in Europe and North America
Highest overall CW scores by a member of the CWops organization
Highest world overall SSB score
Highest world overall Digital score
Highest overall score for single band entries for the 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, and 160-meter bands
Highest overall score for each of the 6 continents
Highest overall score for youth (25 yr old or less)
Highest overall score for YL
Highest overall score in the Challenge Class
Runner-up score in the Challenge Class
Super DX Marathon Award (highest cumulative points in last five years)
Highest International Club score
Highest NA Club score (75 submissions or greater)
Highest NA Club score (26 to 74 submissions)
Highest NA Club score (25 submissions or less)
Most improved Club score as compared to previous year’s score (% improvement)

Entrants may receive only one plaque per year. In the case of a participant qualifying for more than one plaque, that participant will receive a plaque for the highest level based on the above listing order.

Special Note: For single band entries listed above, 6-160M, each band must have a minimum of 20 entries in order for a plaque to be issued. If this threshold is not met, the winner of the band will receive a certificate. For all bands that have greater than 20 entries, a plaque will be issued for the highest score.

Special Country Plaques

As was the case in 2025, certain countries that have sponsors will be recognized with a plaque going to the highest DX Marathon score regardless of class. These countries during the year will be posted here as the DX Marathon receives sponsors.

Certificates

Certificates will be issued to 100% of the participants in 2026. The most significant accomplishments will be listed on the certificates including the participant’s final adjusted score. Significant accomplishments such as #1 in country awards, #1 Continent award, and a number of the previous certificates issued in prior years will receive a “special” certificate of recognition.”

Annual K9EL Special Award

In honor of the contribution of K9EL over his tenure in administering the DX Marathon program, a “Super Marathon Award” will again be issued in honor of K9EL to the participant who has had the cumulative highest five consecutive years of performance using the 2022-2026. The single plaque award will be made irrespective of Class, i.e. Unlimited to QRP. Once a participant has won the award, he will not be ineligible to qualify for this award a second time.

Youth Overlay

The Youth overlay for 2026 is open to anyone who was born on January 1, 2002, or later. Two youth categories and plaques will be awarded to the highest Youth score in the world. The first category will be the top scoring youth 15 years old or younger. The second category will be a plaque award for the highest scoring youth 16-25 years old. To enter the Youth overlay, the entrant must claim Youth entry with birthday stated in the submission form. All Youth entries may be subject to age verification.

YL Overlay

The YL overlay for 2026 is open to any YL operator in the world. A YL plaque will be awarded to the highest YL score in the world. To enter the YL overlay, the entrant must designate this overlay in their submission.

Club Competition

We encourage the participants in the DX Marathon Program who also are members of a Club to name their Club during the submission process. A Club that wishes to be listed as a participating Club must meet the requirements as outlined below.

The Club score is the total aggregate score from submission by members in any of the designated entry classes.

Special Note 1: If a Club has a club station with a club call, and members of the Club operate the station with the Club call sign throughout the year, the Club can then enter as a Club station in their submission.

Special Note 2: For Clubs to submit, the President/leadership must establish a consistent entry name for their Club. For example, the Northern Illinois DX Association should be expressed only as one name on participant’s submission forms. The Northern Illinois DX Association may designate their name as “NIDXA” as opposed to multiple entries such as Northern Illinois DXA, etc. If your Club is not listed in the options in the Submission Tool, contact KI2D@dxmarathon.com and designate how your Club Members shall enter your Club name.

International Club:

To qualify as an International Club, you must adhere to the following requirements:

All participating Club members must reside within the DXCC country where the Club is located.
The Club entity must be engaged in ham radio activities such as DXing, community service, emergency services, or contesting. National organizations such as JARL, REF, DARC and the like do not qualify as Clubs and are not eligible to participate.

North America Clubs

Clubs located in North America must be located within the US and/or Canada. For those Clubs, they must adhere to the following requirements: There will be three tranches of NA Clubs. Plaques will be awarded for the winner of each level.

Clubs with submissions from 75 participants or more.
Clubs with submissions from between 26 and 74 participants
Clubs with submissions from 25 participants or less. To qualify as a Club, you must adhere to the following requirements.
All participating Club members must reside within a 250-mile radius of a designated central point. If a member has been a standing member prior to January 1, 2025, and currently lives outside of this radius, that person will be allowed to claim his score towards the Club score provided he is still a member.
The Club entity must be engaged in ham radio activities such as DXing, community service, emergency services (i.e. ARES), or contesting. National organizations are not eligible to participate.

If there are any questions as to a Club’s qualification to participate, please contact WC3W@dxmarathon.com.

Most Improved Club

Clubs in all of the above classes are eligible for a brand-new club award for 2026. To be eligible, the winning club must have entered a club score in 2025. The “Most Improved Club” award will be issued to the club that has achieved the highest percentage increase in score in 2026 as compared to their score in 2025.

Rookie

A special certificate will be issued to the highest scoring Rookie in all of the six designated Classes above. To qualify as a rookie, a participant must meet one of the following requirements.

Never participated in the DX Marathon Program or,
Has not made a submission in the previous five years.

DECLARATION

By submitting a CQ DX Marathon entry, and in consideration of the efforts of the CQ Marathon

Operating Committee, to review and evaluate the log, an entrant unconditionally and irrevocably agrees that he/she has: 1) read and understood the rules of the program and agrees to be bound by them, 2) operated according to all rules and regulations that pertain to amateur radio for the station location, 3) agreed the final scored results may be made open to the public, and 4) accepted that the issuing of disqualifications and other decisions of the DX Marathon Operating Committee are final. If an entrant is unwilling or unable to agree to all of the foregoing, the entrant should not submit the entry or submit the entry as a Checklog only.