China's 'Super Marathon Weekend' on full display in fleeting spring

More than 60 marathon events were held back-to-back over the past weekends across China, with a surging number of running enthusiasts embracing the warmth of the weather and becoming a part of the seasonal phenomenon known among locals as the "Marathon Super Weekend."

In the annual blue book of marathons released by the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) last week, 2023 saw some 6,051,900 runners participating in 699 road running events in the country, nearly leveling numbers from the pre-pandemic year of 2019, with the number of full marathons increasing by 2, half marathons down by 18, and the population running in CAA-accredited events hitting some 4.18 million, slightly short of 2019's 4.23 million.

The number of marathon runners in full and half lengths combined accounted for 56.93 percent of the entire population. They are not only the pillars of a growing community but also key indicators of the sport's boom in China.

"The pacemaker formation"

The 56.93 percent of last year's 6 million plus participants is where one can spot the development of Marathon in China, among other changes.

Runners who finished the 42.195-kilometer distance within the three-hour mark hit a record high of 11,897 last year. A total of 56,250 crossed the finish line in 3.5 hours. The age group with the most participation dropped from 45-49 in 2019 to 40-44 in 2023, as male runners lifted the average completion time to 4 hours, 12 minutes and 8 seconds. The female runners' completion time also improved to 4:24:14.

The demography is also becoming more diverse. Enterprise employees account for the highest participation at 33 percent, followed by government and institution workers and corporate officials, with increased participation from students, teachers, militants, retired personnel, farmers, and other walks of life.

On the elites' side, Chinese runners are also speeding up. The national record, which stood for 16 years, was shattered last year by He Jie, who clocked 2:07:09 in March in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province. It was broken for a second time within the year by Yang Shaohui, who sliced 21 seconds off of the 24-year-old's record later at the Fukuoka International Marathon in October.

Last weekend, He again bested Yang, clocking 2:06:57 to retake the record at the Wuxi Marathon. China now has four males and three females qualified for the Paris Olympics ahead of the qualifying deadline on May 5.

Gearing up for health and fitness

The slight tilt toward a younger age and faster speed is in proportion to Chinese runners' willingness to spend more on devices for a more scientific approach to what was once a curious attempt for leisure purposes.

A total of 30.21 percent of the runners spent more than 2,000 yuan (about $276.6) on devices last year, 60 percent of whom were above the median. Meanwhile, over 10 percent of the runners' investment in themselves exceeded 5,000 yuan (about $691.5). More than 70 percent of the participants used GPS watches to track and measure their performance with data, followed by those who prefer using smartphones. Only 2.44 percent chose not to use either.

Down the track

The willingness to spend went far beyond technical devices, as cities in China are branding local tourism by hosting marathon events.

According to organizers of the Wuxi race, one of China's flagship marathon competitions, with more than 70 percent of the 33,000 runners coming from out of town, the city achieved a 45 percent year-on-year growth over the "Super Weekend" in catering, hospitality, transportation and tourism earning 282 million yuan (about $39 million).

The out-of-town participants won their draws from a total of 266,000 slots to compete, and it's the same story in other major cities, such as Wuhan, Chongqing, and Chengdu, where one needs to beat the odds to eventually hit the road.

The eastern coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu led the game last year, staging 79 and 61 races each, followed by Shandong up north, Guangdong in the south and Sichuan in the southwest.

For many, their first marathon experience was a relaxing jog along routes designed along local culture staples before the running became serious and improving health and fitness demanded further input, both from the individuals and the organizers who saw the opportunities down the road.

(Cover: An aerial of the 2024 Yangzhou Half Marathon in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 31, 2024. /CFP)