#China #Sanya #Hainan Marathon #Will Liu

A Spectacular Conclusion to the 2025 Hainan (Sanya) Marathon

On December 30, 2025, the 2025 Hainan (Sanya) Marathon concluded successfully, showcasing the province's commitment to blending sports with tourism and promoting the vibrancy of the Hainan Free Trade Port. This year's marathon theme, "Run Past Your Limits. Straight to the Sea," encapsulated the stunning tropical landscape and vibrant athletic spirit of the event.

The marathon's route showcased Sanya's major urban landmarks. Starting from the South Gate of the Beauty Crown, runners traversed scenic coastal roads, with the full marathon concluding at the picturesque Sanya Bay Coastal Park and the half marathon ending at the Tianya Haijiao—a famed tourist attraction. The event attracted more than 14,000 runners, featuring categories for full and half marathons tailored for individuals, teams, and couples.

This year's marathon was especially notable for its international participation, with attendees hailing from 20 countries, including China, Malaysia, Russia, Canada, and the United States. Participants came from all 34 administrative regions in China, benefiting from Hainan's visa-free entry for visitors from 86 nations and its expanding flight connectivity.

Fitness influencer Will Liu, who took on the role of an official ambassador, energized the event by leading a pre-race warm-up session and participating in the half marathon. Liu expressed enthusiasm for his first marathon in Sanya, noting the ideal weather conditions and the lush scenery. He emphasized how the event combined tourism and sporting activity, which significantly enhances the travel experience compared to typical excursions centered around food and drink.

Another notable participant, Chad Ray Skidmore from the United States, ran the marathon for the first time and echoed Liu's sentiments about the favorable climate and quality of Sanya's air, further highlighting the city's appeal as a prime running destination.

In female competition, Inner Mongolia's Yang Yuan triumphed in the women's full marathon. She shared that the familiar warm weather and course support helped her excel during the race, and afterward, she looked forward to sampling local dishes like fermented vinasse soup hotpot and fresh seafood.

The male competitor winner, Zhao Guohu, praised the flat course and supportive crowd, contributing greatly to the energetic marathon atmosphere. This year’s event also featured an expanded prize structure, with six distinct categories combined resulting in an impressive prize total surpassing 500,000 yuan (approximately $70,000). The awards encompassed single placements, record-breaking incentives, special recognitions for local participants, couples, teams, and special runner accolades.

Cultural elements infused into the marathon included race apparel reflecting ocean-blue, palm-green, sand-yellow, and sunshine-orange colors. The finisher medals took the shape of a seashell from Sanya, adorned with recognizable local landmarks such as the Tianya Haijiao and Luhuitou Park, complemented by a detachable magnetic conch accessory.

The integration of sports and tourism was evident through organized services featuring accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, and shopping options. Runners enjoyed attractive hotel discounts and duty-free shopping, creating a cohesive experience. Digital innovations also marked the event, including unique blockchain-based digital awards made purchasable on Alipay. Virtual races offered distant participants the chance to join via platforms like Alipay and DingTalk, broadening the event's accessibility.

Wu Fan from Hainan's tourism department stated that the Sanya Marathon, now recognized as a China Athletics Association A1-certified "Gold Label" event, is pivotal in placing Hainan on the global sporting map. The marathon's success aligns with the planning of the Sixth Asian Beach Games, set to take place in Sanya in April, as Hainan intensifies its promotion of sporting and tourism synergies to boost international presence.

Since the onset of 2024, Hainan has organized more than 700 sporting events, drawing over 4 million spectators, generating a remarkable consumer expenditure exceeding 7 billion yuan. The Sanya Marathon is pivotal in enhancing local engagement through sports tourism. As explained by Sanya Municipality's deputy secretary-general, Xie Yifa, the success of the marathon underscores Hainan's evolving narrative as a destination for high-profile events post its Free Trade Port operational enhancements.

Yang Yong, GM of Events and Commercialization at Orange Lion Sports, articulated how the collaboration with Alibaba's extensive ecosystem has significantly expanded the event's reach, attracting both domestic and international runners, thus unlocking new avenues for sports consumption.

The 2025 Hainan (Sanya) Marathon crystallized a robust message, symbolizing its place within an ever-growing sports tourism model, blending competitive excellence with Sanya's inherent charm as a tourist hotspot.