The Temporal and Spatial Evolution of Marathons in China from 2010 to 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore the spatial distribution pattern and influencing factors of the Chinese marathon. Geographic Information System (GIS) related spatial analysis tools were used to calculate the following: averaged nearest neighbor index, nuclear density analysis, and hot spot analysis amongst others. The spatial distribution evolution characteristics & influencing factors of 18 Chinese marathon events in year 2010, 129 in year 2015 and 342 in year 2018 were analyzed. The results show that: (a) In year 2010 Nearest neighbor ratio was 1.164714, Moran’s I was −0.010165 (type: Random), year 2015 was 0.502146, Moran’s I was 0.066267 (type: Clustered), and year 2018 was 0.531149, Moran’s I was 0.083485 (type: Clustered) ; (b) In year 2010 there was a 333.6 km search radius, The core circle of the Yangtze River Delta was adopted. In 2015 and 2018, the search radius of 556 km was adopted, which was respectively obtained from the core circle of the Yangtze River Delta, the core circle of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the core circle of East China; (c) According to the Z value data, East China and North China in 2015 passed 95% of the confidence in 5 provinces and municipal hot spots, passed 90% of the confidence in 3 hot spots, and passed 95% of the confidence in Chongqing Cold Point. In 2018, East China, North China, Central Region and other eight provinces and cities hot spots passed 95% of the confidence, 4 hot spots passed 90% of the confidence, Tibet Autonomous Region cold spot passed 90% of the confidence. Conclusion: The overall distribution of marathon events is greater in the eastern region than the western region, greater in the southern region than the northern region, and greater in coastal regions than the inland regions; the nuclear density distribution has spread from the Yangtze River Delta mononuclear circle in 2010 to the core circle of the entire East China region. Moreover, it spread to North China, Central China, and South China; the distribution of hot spots spread from Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang to the entire North China and East China regions. During the past 38 years of development of the Chinese marathon, it has been divided into three stages due to different political, economic and social environments.