The post-COVID-19 boom in Taiwan could boost local tourism and the economy, and has an estimated gross output value of up to NT$15 billion (US$469.63 million) every year, experts said.
While marathons and road running events were suspended during COVID-19, they have made a comeback since last year, with events held in almost every city and county, as well as the nation’s three outlying islands.
As there were nearly 1,000 marathon and road running events with an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 participants nationwide in 2019, the gross economic benefits yielded from sports products, registration fees, food and catering, transportation, accommodation and other consumption are estimated to be NT$12 billion to NT$15 billion per year, according to a study conducted by Lunghwa University of Science and Technology researchers Hsu Tien-yu (徐天佑), Ho Tai-hua (何台華) and Chung Chuan-chuan (鍾涓涓) and Taipei City University of Science and Technology researcher Wang Wen-pi (王文筆).
Photo: Taipei Times file
Data from Runner’s Plaza and other online platforms for runners showed that there were 136 running events in Taiwan before the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, and nearly 100 events have been announced for this year.
Running event contractors said there seemed to be an economic recovery in the sports industry after COVID-19, which would only continue to boom for years to come.
Running events did produce economic benefits, Chinese Taipei Road Running Association secretary-general Sunny Chen (陳華恒) said yesterday.
For example, Taipei 101 Run Up attracts contestants from more than 60 countries, while the Taipei Marathon is attended by more than 4,000 foreign runners and creates economic benefits totaling at least NT$200 million, he said.
The Tourism Administration has co-organized marathon events with Taiwanese airline companies to appeal to international runners, while local scenic area headquarters would hold running events featuring local cultures and specialties, its Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said.
For example, Gaillardia Islands Penghu Cross-Sea Marathon gives out lobster salads at refreshment stations and includes lobsters as part of winners’ prizes, he said.
In addition to funding local governments and non-governmental organizations to hold marathons, the administration plans to assist with the branding of existing marathon events by holding after-race celebrations or offering preferential packages for participants, he said.
He also cited the UN Tourism as saying that sports as a leisure activity would become even more popular after COVID-19, so running events are important as they could boost domestic tourism and local economies, attracting travelers from around the world and improving the image of a town or a city.
Chu Yi-che (褚伊哲), 41, has been running marathons for 16 years and finished more than 70 full-length marathons at home and abroad, including famous city marathons such as the New York, Berlin, Okinawa and Osaka marathons.
Chu said he began to run after the end of a relationship, progressing from a 5km run to half-length and eventually to full-length marathons, with his body and mind becoming healthier than before and a growing sense of achievement after overcoming the long distances and improving his physical fitness.
Running could mean different things for people of different ages, he said.
For people in their twenties, it is to challenge oneself; for people in their thirties, it is to stick with one’s faith and purpose in life; and for people in their forties, it is to maintain good physical stamina, he said, adding that in his fifties, he aims to make friends through running.
“Running is a sport with almost the least time and space limitations, but it is a lonely activity,” Chu said. “However, being alone in running is not all that bad, as it is an opportunity to talk to yourself, stay focused and learn to transcend yourself instead of comparing with others.”
Additional reporting by Tsai Ssu-pei
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