Riding the momentum of the national fitness campaign, marathons have been held consecutively across China. In December alone, cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Heyuan hosted marathons. Against this backdrop, how does the Huizhou Marathon stand out to become another signature brand for the city?

This year, Huizhou successfully hosted the taekwondo, skateboarding, and roller skating events of the 15th National Games. "The warmth of the 15th National Games hasn't faded. For Huizhou, a well-known tourism city, this is a great opportunity to advance the integration of culture, tourism, and sports," said Bao Jigang, Deputy Director of the Faculty of Economics and Management and Professor at the School of Tourism at Sun Yat-sen University. Leveraging the impetus of the 15th National Games, Huizhou has proposed the goal of building itself into the Outdoor Sports Capital of South China and an "Everlasting National Games," and has completed the landmark 218-kilometer most beautiful tourism highway in the "South Kunshan-Luofu Mountain" leading area, which holds great appeal for marathon enthusiasts. "What Huizhou needs to be clear about is that it currently lacks the foundation and opportunity to host world-class top-tier events," Bao suggested. He advised Huizhou to start from its own conditions, constructing mass participation sports events with high public engagement and popularity to build the public foundation for achieving these development goals.

"A city full of charm should possess both the vitality of sports and the warmth of culture," said Zhong Liang. In recent years, Huizhou has seized new opportunities in integrating culture, tourism, and sports. Relying on its unique mountain and sea resources, it has actively embraced the outdoor sports boom. Events and activities such as hiking, mountaineering, trail running, cycling, skateboarding, and roller skating run throughout the year. The city idedicated to creating a "South China Outdoor Sports Capital" that integrates top-tier hosting, immersive leisure experiences, innovative industry incubation, and distinctive cultural dissemination.

In building a national fitness facility network), Huizhou has deeply embedded the seeds of "national fitness" into its urban cultural soil. The city's 17,239 sports venues and 19.53 million square meters of sports space collectively weave a "15-minute fitness circle." The "Benefiting People Spaces” in old residential communities, the face-scan access of school sports grounds, and the convenient booking via the "Group Access” platform make sports can be arranged within a digital reach. The policy of large sports venues offering low free access for 330 days a year ensures the fostering of a national fitness and mass sports atmosphere.

Huizhou also persists in leveraging the leading role of major projects. This year, not only did Huizhou complete the construction of the 218 most beautiful tourism highway, but it also initiated the construction of the Henghe 4,000-acre outdoor sports town. This town can organize 39 outdoor sports activities like trail running and motorcycle touring, build an outdoor sports equipment experience center, centrally display "Huizhou-made" sports products brands such as Mofang, the country's largest outdoor sports association, to participate in construction and operation, successfully host cycling activities on the 218 most beautiful tourism highway, plan and organize high-level event activities, and create an everlasting National Games.

筑梦华南户外运动之都｜惠州马拉松

借着全民健身的东风，全国各地相继举办马拉松赛事，仅在12月份，广州、深圳、河源等城市相继举办马拉松赛事，在这一背景下，惠州马拉松如何脱颖而出，成为这一城市的另一品牌名片？

今年，惠州顺利承办了“十五运会”的跆拳道、滑板、轮滑项目，“十五运会余温未散，对于惠州这座知名的旅游城市而言，是推进文旅体融合的一大契机。”中山大学经济与管理学部副主任、旅游学院教授保继刚表示，借着十五运会的东风，惠州提出了打造华南户外运动之都、“永不落幕的全运会”建设目标，也建成了“环南昆山－罗浮山”引领区标志性工程218公里最美旅游公路，这对马拉松爱好者具有极大的吸引力。“惠州需要明晰的是，它目前还不具备承办世界级顶级赛事的基础与机遇。”保继刚建议，惠州可以从自身条件入手，构建群众性参与度高、欢迎度高的群众性运动赛事，以构建惠州实现以上建设目标的群众基础。

“一座充满魅力的城市，应当既有运动的活力，也有人文的温度。”钟亮表示，近年以来，惠州紧抓文旅体融合新机遇，依托得天独厚的山海资源，积极拥抱户外运动热潮，徒步、登山、越野、骑行、滑板、轮滑等赛事活动贯穿全年，全力打造集顶级赛事举办、沉浸式休闲体验、创新产业孵化、特色文化传播于一体的“华南户外运动之都”。

在构建全民健身设施网络上，惠州将“全民健身”的种子深植于城市文化土壤。全市17239个体育场地、1953万平方米运动空间，共同织就“15分钟健身圈”。老旧小区的“惠民空间”、学校体育场的“刷脸开放”、“群体通”平台的便捷预约，让运动变得触手可及。大型体育场馆每年330天的低免开放政策，确保全民健身、全民运动氛围的打造。

惠州还坚持发挥大项目的引领作用，今年惠州不仅完成了218最美旅游公路的建设，还启动横河4000亩户外运动小镇建设，可组织开展越野跑、摩旅等39项户外运动，建设户外运动装备体验中心，集中展陈“惠州制造”体育产品，引入全国最大户外运动协会磨房参与建设运营，成功举办218最美旅游公路骑行活动，策划组织高等级赛事活动，打造永不落幕的全运会。

统筹策划｜陈骁鹏

文｜林海生 惠宣

图｜主办方

视频｜林海生 王小虎

翻译｜陈惠琳

校审｜倪婷婷