Marathon continues to expand influence in China: report
By Zhang Huizhong, People’s Daily
Marathon is driving up development of relevant
sports industries as it further expands influence in China, said a report
issued by the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) in Xiamen, southeast China's
Fujian province on Mar. 11.
China held a total of 1,581 marathons and
relevant sport events (road races of over 800 participants and cross-country
races of over 300 participants) in 2018, creating a new record high, according
to the report.
4.3 races were held on average each day, up
43.46 percent from a year before, and the total number of participants rose by
17.07 percent to 5.83 million.
The total consumption boosted by all running
events hit 28.8 billion yuan ($4.29 billion), and that generated by marathon
events alone was 17.8 billion yuan.
The annual output value of the industry
amounted to 74.6 billion yuan, the report said.
“2018 witnessed accelerated reform and
development of China’s marathon events, and the country was also seeking
quality improvement in addition to quantitative growth of the running events,”
said Yu Hongchen, director of the Athletics Administrative Center under the
General Administration of Sport of China.
Yu, also vice president and secretary-general
of the CAA, noted that marathon events have played an important role in
promoting public health, urban tourism consumption, economic growth and
popularity of cities.
In recent years, China’s marathon has entered
a phase of booming development. The number of racing events held in the country
kept surging, and the consumption base relevant to the sport is also enlarging.
According to CAA statistics, China held 134 marathon
races in 2015, up from 51 a year before. In 2016, the CAA reported 328
registered marathon and relevant events.
The running craze, centered with marathon
races, has also promoted the integrated development of relevant industries
including catering, tourism, transportation, and retail business.
As it is pointed out in this year’s Chinese
government work report, Fitness-for-All activities flourished over the last
year. Besides, the report also raised new requirement on the country’s sports
development, proposing to bring sports closer to the people, the society and
the country, and carry out extensive Fitness-for-All activities.
The 2019 Hainan (Sanya) International Marathon was held on Mar. 10, attracting approximately 17,000 participants from nearly 30 countries and regions. (Photo by CFP)
Marathon continues to expand influence in China: report
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