How many people have turned the marathon into a "continuous feast"?

Surprisingly, when running a marathon, the most exhausted part is not the legs, but the jaws.

This scene is occurring on more and more marathon courses. "Higher, Faster, Stronger" is transforming into "Fragrant, Hot, Holding the Wall" - the marathon is becoming an extra-long "feast", from Sweet and Sour Pork to Whole Roast Lamb, from Qingfeng Baozi to Xijia De Dumplings. No wonder some people joke: "A feast for over forty kilometers, so what if you take a few steps?"

Source: Xiaoxiang Morning News

Senior marathon enthusiast Shirley recalls that when she first started running marathons 10 years ago, the supplies were almost only the "water, bananas, and energy gels" trio. But nowadays, you can eat a variety of foods from the beginning to the end of the marathon, and it's not a dream to gain three pounds after a marathon.

How did the marathon become a "buffet"?

How Exhausting Is the Marathon for the Jaws?

The marathon is becoming increasingly competitive, not only in terms of results, but also in terms of food.

Although the marathon is very ancient and has existed since the first Olympic Games in 1896, eating and drinking during the marathon is a very recent phenomenon.

Looking at the marathon events in Europe and the United States, according to an article published in Women's Running, an outdoor sports magazine in the UK, before the 1960s, not only were there no sports drinks, but marathon runners even had an unwritten rule of not drinking water throughout the race. It was not until the end of the 1960s that energy drinks appeared, and it was not until the 1970s that the intake of calories and carbohydrates began to be emphasized. It was not until the 1980s and 1990s that energy bars and energy gels appeared.

Shirley is a sports education professional living in Beijing and also a marathon enthusiast. According to her observation, domestic marathon events once only had simple supplies. In terms of drinks, there were only water or electrolyte drinks. Most of the food was concentrated on bananas or small breads, and at most, energy gels were added as supplies.

"The purpose of the supplies is very simple, to replenish energy in the fastest and most effective way to support the runners to complete the race," Shirley said.

Once, the marathon supplies were the simpler, more efficient, and more portable, the better. The variety was far less than the food brought for a spring outing. But in the past two years, the trend has changed. The marathon supplies have begun to compete in the variety and quantity of food. There are more and more stalls, and the food is piled up as high as a small mountain, just like a rural feast.

Since 2024, many marathon races held across the country have become popular because of the food. For example, the barbecue stalls with long queues at the Jinan Marathon, the roast chicken that you can sit and eat at the Jining Marathon, the clam and beer combo at the Qingdao Marathon, and the Bobo Chicken and Bacon Rice at the Chengdu Marathon.

Of course, the most well-received is the generous Northeast Marathon. A typical example is the Harbin Marathon, from Red Sausage to Sweet and Sour Pork, from Dumplings to Butchered Pig Dish, and after the meal, there are enough Moderner Ice Creams. The variety of dishes is comparable to the New Year's Eve dinner.

Source: Bingcheng Net

The smaller-scale Tieling Marathon is even more excessive. The regular marathon almost only starts to set up supply stations from the 12.5-kilometer mark, with one every 5 kilometers, and only in the area above 30 kilometers near the finish line will a supply station be added every 2.5 kilometers. However, the Tieling Marathon starts to provide food supplies from the 1-kilometer mark, with as many as 31 supply points in the 20-kilometer distance, and some supply points are even 300 meters long. According to the official introduction, there are a total of 50 delicacies throughout the course, including 8 appetizers such as Xinyi Sausage, 18 characteristic flavors such as Stew in Iron Pot, Whole Roast Lamb, and Braised Pork, 16 staple foods and snacks such as Rice Cake, Rice Wrap, and Sticky Bean Bun, in addition to 4 drinks and 4 fruits each.

Source: Xiaoxiang Morning News

Even if you can't finish eating, they provide packing bags for you to eat on the way. In the face of the hardcore supplies, the desire to win even fades.

In fact, the marathon has long shown signs of competing in supplies. According to Shirley's observation, before 2020, the marathon mostly competed in post-race supplies. In addition to setting up ice water areas and stretching and massage areas after the race, there is often a food tasting area, almost all of which are small stalls set up by sponsors. The runners who have completed the race urgently need the comfort of delicious food, and the sponsors urgently need to display their brands and products. The two sides tacitly agree. Therefore, it is often an unspoken thing for runners to have a full meal after the race.

Competing in supplies during the race has become an increasingly intense trend after 2020. Originally, it was just to change the cold food to hot food and the pre-packaged food to freshly made food. But really eating it like a "buffet" or "feast" is almost a new creation in the past two or three years.

Why the Competition in Catering?

Whether it is appropriate to provide abundant catering during the marathon race has always been the focus of controversy.

A professional runner told Interesting Report that runners who really want to achieve good results will almost only drink water and eat energy gels, and will not waste time because of delicious food. More importantly, "not eating food that they are not familiar with" is the principle of professional runners to avoid discomfort due to acclimatization or gastrointestinal problems. Similarly, from a medical perspective, energy can be replenished during exercise, but excessive eating is not advisable.

However, Shirley also found that with the popularity of the marathon, more and more runners are not blindly pursuing results, and many people choose the half marathon or the fun run. These "participation-oriented" runners may be more willing to regard the marathon as a carnival or a social event. It's enjoyable to have delicious food, exercise, and make friends. Why not?

"Where the service is provided and whether to eat or not is the choice of the runners. This is ultimately a good thing," Shirley said.

This controversy may not have a conclusion, but what is more worth exploring is why the events are competing in catering one after another.

"Behind the competition in catering, the purpose is for the organizers to attract and compete for participants," said Tang Cheng, who has been deeply involved in organizing and holding sports events for a long time.

Although the marathon, as a sport that is both cost-effective and easy to start, is setting off an upsurge of national fitness, perhaps the frequency of marathon events is growing faster than the popularity. According to the data of the Athletics Association, on October 20 this year, there were 20 road running events held simultaneously across the country in one day; on October 27, there were as many as 19 road running events; the peak point this year occurred on April 21, with more than 50 road running events held on the same day.

According to the "2023 China Road Running Event Blue Book" released by the China Athletics Association, there were a total of 699 road running events in 2023, equivalent to an average of two events per day, of which marathons and half marathons accounted for nearly 90%.

Source: Xinhua Sports

In Tang Cheng's view, behind the competition for participants is actually the competition for cultural and tourism consumers. The organizers and hosts of marathon events are almost all local governments, so marathon events have become an important part of cultural and tourism. "Run a marathon, love a city" has long been an unspoken subtext for governments, and of course, practical measures have already followed: For example, for the participants of the Shandong Marathon, with the race number bib and personal ID, they can enjoy a variety of discounts in hotels, scenic spots, and cinemas under the Shandong Cultural and Tourism Group; the Chongli Marathon gives a one-day ticket (including the cable car) for the Xueruyi Ski Resort in the Chongli Ski Season to the runners who meet the results.

The event is not just an event, but behind it is to bring new growth points to the local cultural and tourism.

Shirley calculated such an account. The general marathon registration fee is about 200 yuan, while the average cost of traveling to other cities to participate in the marathon, such as transportation, accommodation, and catering, is almost 10 times the registration fee, about 2000 yuan. Undoubtedly, a lot of this 2000 yuan is included in the local cultural and tourism consumption.

"To run a marathon in another city, at least two days will be set aside. Half a day for the race, and the rest of the time for eating, drinking, and playing," Shirley said.

Indeed, there has always been a ratio of "1:13" in the industry, which means that the indirect consumption-driven ratio of out-of-town marathon participants to the local area is 1:13. Taking the Guilin Marathon held in the first half of this year as an example, the official data shows that the direct economic benefit brought by a marathon is 183 million yuan, the indirect economic benefit generated by related industries is 296 million yuan, and the comprehensive economic benefit brought to Guilin City is 479 million yuan.

Shirley also found that her hometown, a fourth-tier city in Shaanxi that used to produce coal, also started to hold marathon races last year. "After leaving one industry, another industry has to be developed, and the marathon has become a trend."

In the view of Zhang Yi, CEO and Chief Analyst of iiMedia Research, the intention is not in the marathon. From the perspective of urban cultural tourism and stimulating consumption, there is no essential difference between the marathon and the concert. This is a way to develop the economy and an important channel to build a city's business card.

"There was the concert economy before, and now there is the marathon economy. The main point is the economic benefits brought by cross-city consumption," Zhang Yi said.

More importantly, in Tang Cheng's view, although there are many marathons such as the Beijing Marathon, the Guangzhou Marathon, and the Shanghai Marathon that are "must-visit" projects and are veteran marathon events certified by the China Athletics Association, most of the marathons held in local areas are emerging events. To attract participants, they have to show their own cultural signs and characteristics, and food is a concrete and effective means.

For example, the Tieling Half Marathon, which does not require a lottery for registration, held its first session last year and successfully attracted 5000 people to participate. At that time, there were as many as 19 supply points including agricultural and specialty products. This year's half marathon attracted more than 10,000 people to participate, and there are as many as 31 supply points including characteristic catering. At the press conference of the Tieling Half Marathon, "Revitalization of Northeast China" and "Revitalization of Liaoning" were repeatedly mentioned.

In the view of Zhu Yongyi, Vice President of the China Marketing Association, just the catering supply alone has achieved all-round functions. In addition to providing energy and nutrition, it also enhances the experience of the event and promotes the spread of local culture.

The Business Map Behind a Marathon

Zhu Yongyi cited a set of data to indicate that from the international data, when the per capita GDP exceeds 5000 US dollars, it will enter the national road running consumption cycle represented by the marathon, and China is currently in this cycle. Therefore, the marathon race is far more than a sports competition, but a huge industrial chain covering event operation, brand sponsorship, equipment sales, tourism consumption, and other fields.

2024 Beijing Marathon   Source: China News Photo Library

So in this industrial chain, drainage is drainage, but with the crazy competition in catering, will the marathon events lose money?

First, look at the veteran classic events such as the Beijing Marathon and the Shanghai Marathon. In Shirley's view, these classic events certified by the China Athletics Association have not really participated in the involution of catering. The supplies are very restrained. For example, in the 2024 Beijing Marathon that she just finished, bananas only appeared from the 12.5-kilometer mark, and small snacks were only available in the second half of the race, which is "shabby" compared to the Northeast Marathon that has been widely discussed.

Shirley said that these marathons never lack participants. After the registration opens, it is instantly filled, and the average winning rate is less than 20%. Statistics show that the winning rate of the 2024 Beijing Marathon is 16%, and the winning rate of the 2024 Shanghai Marathon is 11.2%.

For the marathon race, the registration fee is an important source of income. For those who do not win the lottery, they can also choose the expensive "charity quota". Taking the 2025 Wuhan Marathon, which has recently opened for registration, as an example, the registration fee for the full marathon is 200 yuan per person, the registration fee for the half marathon is 150 yuan per person, and the registration fee for the 13-kilometer run is 100 yuan per person. In addition, those who do not win the lottery can choose to spend 2199 yuan or 1599 yuan to buy the charity quota for the full marathon or the half marathon. According to the limit on the number of people for the Wuhan Marathon, the registration fee alone is 7.4193 million yuan.

In Zhang Yi's view, the veteran large-scale events may have achieved a balance of income and expenditure through the registration fee and naming rights. But looking at the direct economic benefits alone, those newer and smaller events may still be difficult to make a profitable business.

Tang Cheng believes that the expenses of the marathon event are actually huge. The expenses that the runners can see are the materials for participating and completing the race, but behind the scenes, the event operation, promotion, and execution all require huge financial support.

For example, the manpower and isolation equipment used for road closures require expenses, the construction of the starting point and the finish point requires expenses, the security check and support team require expenses, and the invitation of media coverage and broadcasting also requires expenses.

However, fortunately, in addition to the registration fee and naming rights, there are also many business interfaces for the entire event.