一场马拉松 “跑”出体育消费新蓝海

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese sports industry is experiencing rapid growth, with a focus on enhancing sports consumption as a key strategy for expanding domestic demand [1][9]. Group 1: Sports Industry Growth - The sports industry in China has maintained a high growth rate this year, driven by innovative events that engage the public and expand the "sports+" ecosystem [1]. - The number of marathon events is projected to increase from 699 to 749, with participant numbers rising from 6.05 million to 7.05 million between 2023 and 2024 [3]. Group 2: Economic Impact of Marathons - Marathons have evolved beyond mere sports competitions, significantly boosting local economies by activating sectors such as dining, accommodation, tourism, and retail [2]. - A large city marathon can generate economic benefits ranging from 600 million to 700 million yuan [5]. - The 2025 Wuxi Marathon attracted over 426,000 spectators and participants, generating an economic impact of 50.5 million yuan, a 78.2% increase from the previous year [6]. Group 3: Sports Consumption Trends - The integration of marathons with tourism has stimulated consumer demand across various sectors, including food, lodging, and entertainment [10]. - The annual consumption scale for certified road running events is expected to reach 16.8 billion yuan in 2024, reflecting a 26% increase from 2023 [10]. Group 4: Industry Ecosystem Development - The sports industry ecosystem is expanding from single events to a comprehensive chain that includes event organization, promotion, sports goods sales, and tourism services [7]. - Over 17 million sports-related market entities exist in China, with a registration increase of 11.43% in the first seven months of this year [7]. Group 5: Future Opportunities - The "marathon cycle" theory suggests that as GDP per capita exceeds 5,000 USD, regions will enter a phase of increased sports consumption [9]. - Collaboration among government, market entities, and social organizations is essential to convert short-term event traffic into long-term economic growth [11].