The 2025 Hainan (Sanya) Marathon Concludes Successfully
SANYA, China, Dec. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from zgcsb.com:
The 2025 Hainan (Sanya) Marathon began Sunday, highlighting the island province's drive to integrate sports with tourism and showcasing the vitality of the Hainan Free Trade Port. The race, themed "Run Past Your Limits. Straight to the Sea", blended tropical island scenery with athletic competition through diverse event formats, specialized services and digital innovations.
Runners followed a course connecting Sanya's major urban landmarks. Starting at the South Gate of the Beauty Crown, the route covered coastal roads with the full marathon finishing at the Sanya Bay Coastal Park and the half marathon ending at the Tianya Haijiao (Edge of the Sky, Rim of the Sea) tourist area. Events included full and half marathons with categories for men, women, teams and couples, drawing more than 14,000 participants.
The event's national and international profile grew significantly. Participants came from 20 countries and regions including China, Malaysia, Russia, Canada and the United States, with domestic runners from all 34 administrative regions at the provincial level in China.
More than 50 overseas runners and guests benefited from Hainan's visa-free policy for visitors from 86 nations and its expanding international flight network.
Top fitness influencer Will Liu joined the event as an official ambassador. He led a pre-race warm-up and ran the half marathon to promote public fitness initiatives.
Liu revealed that it was his first time running a marathon in Sanya. "The weather today was perfect - cool and breezy the whole way. It wasn't too hot; I didn't even need extra salt. I ran happily and comfortably, stopping to see all the sights and to interact and take pictures with many other runners and spectators along the route," he said. "Hainan is an excellent place for tourism. Sanya is very suitable for sporting events. When I came last year for my friend Jay Chou's concert, I wondered if there could be a sport suitable for the whole family. That's why I was very happy to participate in this year's Sanya Marathon."
"Tourism isn't just about eating and drinking," he added. "Being able to run a marathon here is a completely different experience. I came early on purpose to enjoy Sanya's beautiful scenery and tasty food first. I exercise twice a day. Yesterday, I played tennis for two hours in the morning and afternoon respectively. The winter weather here is so comfortable."
"This year's marathon is held right before the New Year. With this great form, we're running right into 2026," Liu said. "In a place with Sanya's beautiful scenery, weather, environment and coastline, I hope everyone can move toward 2026 with a healthy body and lifestyle."
"It's my first full marathon," said American runner Chad Ray Skidmore. "I came here because it shouldn't be too difficult and the air quality is good. Sanya is a good place to be."
The runner Yang Yuan from Inner Mongolia won the women's full marathon title. She mentioned that this was her last marathon event of the year and her third time participating in the Sanya marathon. The warm weather in Sanya and familiarity with the course helped her relax and perform well. "After the race, I plan to visit some local attractions and try local specialties such as fermented vinasse soup hotpot and seafood," she said.
Zhao Guohu, the winner of the men's division in the Sanya Marathon, said that the course in Sanya is flat and the weather is warm, which is beneficial for achieving good results. During the race, the spectators and volunteers were very enthusiastic and energetic, cheering and shouting, creating a great atmosphere.
The prize structure was expanded to six categories with a total purse exceeding 500,000 yuan (about $70,000), allowing for cumulative awards. Categories included individual placements, record-breaking bonuses, special awards for Hainan-based runners, couple awards, team awards and outstanding runner recognitions.
Local cultural elements were featured throughout. Race apparel used a palette of ocean blue, palm green, sand yellow and sunshine orange. Finisher medals, shaped like a Sanya seashell with a hinged opening mechanism, featured cut-out designs of landmarks like Tianya Haijiao and Luhuitou (Deer Looking Back) Park, bordered by palm tree patterns. A detachable magnetic conch accessory added functional use.
The event emphasized "sports and tourism" by providing coordinated services for accommodations, transport, sightseeing and shopping. Partners offered discounted hotel rates with late checkout, preferential airfares and duty-free shopping perks for runners. Digital innovations included issuing unique blockchain-based digital commemorative medals available for purchase on Alipay platforms. Virtual races on Alipay, DingTalk and Amap allowed remote participation.
"Hainan is building a year-round calendar of high-quality sporting events that attract global attention," said Wu Fan from the mass sports division of Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province. The Sanya marathon, now a China Athletics Association A1-certified "Gold Label" race, is one of Hainan's five major sporting events. "Its growth demonstrates our commitment to integrating culture, sports and tourism to enhance international influence," Wu said. "The successful marathon helps build momentum for the Sixth Asian Beach Games, which Sanya will host next April, showcasing an open, dynamic and green Hainan Free Trade Port."
Since the start of 2024, Hainan has hosted over 700 sporting events, attracting more than 4 million spectators and generating over 7 billion yuan in consumer spending. The Sanya marathon, leveraging the province's climate and ecological advantages, has become a key driver of local consumption by combining competition with tourism and vacation activities.
"This year's Sanya Marathon demonstrates how the coastal city is hosting high-level events to build its capacity after the Hainan Free Trade Port launched island-wide special customs operations," said Xie Yifa, deputy secretary-general of the Sanya Municipal People's Government. "We hope to use this event to promote the integration of sports, tourism and culture in Sanya, letting the energy of competition complement the appeal of tourism."
Yang Yong, General Manager of Events and Commercialization at event partner Orange Lion Sports (formerly Alibaba Sports), said the organizer utilized Alibaba ecosystem resources - including Taobao, Fliggy, Alibaba Health, Ant Chain and Amap - to extend the event's reach and precisely attract domestic and international runners, helping unlock sports consumption potential.
SOURCE zgcsb.com
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