Participants start the Qingdao marathon. LI XUDONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Coastal city Qingdao in Shandong province is using sporting events as an opportunity to showcase the city, attract tourists and accelerate the creation of a global metropolis, local officials said.

On May 4, the Haier 2021 Qingdao Marathon kicked off in the north of the May Fourth Square. Some 25,000 runners passed through Qingdao's scenic spots such as the first bathing beach and Zhanqiao Pier, Qingdao University, and Ocean University of China. They ran with a sea breeze behind them as they observed the beautiful coastline scenery and a city view that blends history and modernity.

The number of applicants for the event, which included a full marathon, a half-marathon and a mini-marathon, hit a record high of 44,320.

This year's Qingdao marathon, broadcast on CCTV-5 as a part of the Running China series, is not only a wonderful interpretation of the new image of the city and a display of Qingdao people's hospitality, but also an important measure for the city to promote the construction of an open, modern, dynamic and fashionable international metropolis, an official said.

"The live marathon is not only a broadcast of the race, but also a full-scale display of the scenery, outlook and culture of the city," a participant in the live broadcast of the event said.

"The marathon is not just a race, it is also a phenomenon-level city marketing activity," said Li Zelong, deputy dean of the School of Sports of Qingdao University.

"The government will view the marathon as a platform to enhance the image of the city, spread its culture, and drive the development of tourism and cultural industries."

The earliest memory of the marathon for Qingdao people began on Jan 8, 1984.

Sun Jianping, a 67-year-old retired local police officer still remembers the scene.

"Qingdao has a long history of holding sporting activities. At least 500 people participated in the first Qingdao marathon race," said Sun, who crossed the finish line first in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 55 seconds.

The route started from Huiquan Square in Shinan district, along the seashore to Jiangjiazhuang village in Laoshan, and went back to the end of the first stadium, he said.

On May 15, 2005, the first Qingdao International Marathon opened on Donghai Road.

As a sub-event of the national marathon, this competition was attended by many high-level team players. The number of participants was nearly 10,000, the largest of the city's sport events at that time.

Since 2019, the development of sports fashion has become a driving force for Qingdao to build itself into a world-class fashion city.

A large number of fashion events related to running, including Blue Horse and Hippocampus, are deeply rooted in the hearts of local people.

For example, Qingdao's Luyi running group has grown from less than 100 people when it was established in 2013 to nearly 10,000 people.

According to data released by the Qingdao sports bureau, the city had built more than 10,000 fitness facilities through the end of 2020, nearly completed an "eight-minute fitness circle" in the urban area, and achieved full coverage of rural construction facilities with a per capita sports area of 3.29 square meters. The proportion of the city's regular participation in physical exercise reached 49.5 percent, which is significantly higher than the provincial average.