In recent years, China’s sports consumption and industry have flourished, turning marathons into key strategies for local economic growth.
Have you ever seen a marathon held on the plateau? On Sept 14, the 2025 Great Beauty Qinghai Plateau Marathon kicked off in Xining, the capital of Qinghai. It’s China’s First full-distance plateau marathon.
This event attracted nearly 20,000 runners from home and abroad, competing on a course with an average altitude of 2,200 meters. At the same time, this event set up 28 performance spots for Qinghai-style cultural and artistic programs. And performances such as the Guozhuang dance and cheerleading showcased the charm of the plateau city.
In addition, the wine-themed marathon in Helan Mountain, China’s northernmost marathon in Mohe and China’s first humanoid robot half-marathon all attracted huge attention. Especially the last one, 20 humanoid robot runners attracted the attention of the whole world.
The winner, Tiangong Ultra, achieved a top speed of 12 km/h. The Songyan Power’s N2 came second, and its fastest recorded speed reached 3.5 m/s. The significance of this marathon lies not in which robot wins, but in its role as an accelerator for an intelligent society.
After the event, over 2000 humanoid robots of Songyan Power were sold, and contract sales exceeded 100 million yuan.
In recent years, the craze for marathons has been at an all-time high in China. The marathon today is no longer a simple competition, but a phenomenal economic activity — the marathon economy.
The marathon economy refers to the economic scenarios with the marathon as its core, encompassing multiple sectors, including event operations, commercial sponsorship, and tourism consumption.
“Travelling with the event” has become a defining characteristic of the marathon economy. There’s a lot of fun during the marathon. Tourists and even runners will experience the local food, drink, and entertainment during their spare time.
Therefore, the economic value of the marathon far exceeds the event itself. The Marathon has become a key strategy for local economic growth.
Written by Sha Liu, poster designed by Di Wang.
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