Marathon race can be said to be another popular term this spring. The world's first "man-machine co running" marathon race was held in Yizhuang, Beijing, attracting the attention of many people. The next day (April 20th), China's marathon race once again reached a historic moment. According to media statistics, 43 marathon races were held simultaneously in 40 cities across 18 provinces and cities in China, making it the day with the highest number of marathon races in Chinese road running history with official records. There are many organizers, and the registered participants follow the crowd. According to the data provided by the organizing committees of various competitions, the number of marathon registrations in many places has reached a new historical high. Among them, the number of predicted celebrities for the Beijing Half Marathon is nearly 170000, with runners from 54 countries and regions around the world, and 56.6% of registrations from outside Beijing; 110000 people signed up to participate in the Shanghai Half Marathon, and the winners came from 21 countries and regions. Some even flew from overseas to participate. The overall impression of this year's marathon event is that it has high standards, high national participation, and a high degree of internationalization. In the past, people's perception of urban marathons may have been "niche" and "professional". In the past year or two, marathon events have become more like "things around us", often discussed by people and becoming a personally participated event for many people. The participants include both "elite" and "mass" runners. Marathon events have brought vitality to multiple cities, showcasing the charm of mass sports and the important role of sports economy in promoting growth, structural transformation, and benefiting people's livelihoods. If hosting a marathon in international metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai is a two-way achievement of "the name of the event" and "the name of the city", then it is easier to understand what "one event ignites one city" means by looking at the performance report of this county-level city. Renshou County, Meishan City, Sichuan Province, has been building the World Association of Athletics Federations White Gold Label Half Marathon for 7 years, which attracted 150000 registrations this year and 25000 participants, achieving a direct economic benefit of 330 million yuan and indirectly driving consumption of 620 million yuan. The driving effect of sports on the economy is evident to all. From a global perspective, many countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, etc. have a sports industry that accounts for a higher proportion of GDP than the automobile manufacturing industry, demonstrating its pillar position and growth potential. From the perspective of domestic development momentum, the contribution rate of China's sports industry to the economy has increased from 0.5% in 2014 to 1.15% in 2023, gradually approaching that of developed countries in the sports industry. Relatively speaking, marathons do not require high natural endowments from cities hosting sports events, which has become a track for many cities to compete around their own characteristics. Data shows that the economic benefits generated by a large city marathon event can reach 600 million to 700 million yuan. "One day running, multiple days of stay, one person participating, and multiple people consuming" is becoming a new feature of running event travel. The hosting methods of "marathon+cultural tourism", "marathon+industry", "marathon+exhibition", etc. have enabled cities to gain huge "traffic" while also gaining "increment" in the economy. Of course, whether various regions can effectively convert the traffic of sports events into a "new engine" to boost local economic development is a necessary review after each event. This year, many cities have put in a lot of effort to strengthen competition incentives and guarantees. For example, the Beijing Half Marathon Organizing Committee invited 16 international and domestic elite athletes each, with a prize pool of 730000 RMB, and set a record breaking award for the first time; The Shanghai Half Marathon has set up beverage and water stations, provided cold sponge cooling and food energy supply, and medical rescue personnel are on standby at any time. These measures help participants fully unleash their passion for sports and strive to achieve their "best results". Sports competitions are linked to industry and consumption, but the focus is always on "people's livelihoods" and advocating a healthy lifestyle for all. Only by doing a good job in the competition can the economy of the event go further. (Outlook New Era)