A central Taiwan farming town is home to one of the country’s biggest qualifying events on international marathon calendars.
Last September, the launch ceremony for the 2022 Changhua Marathon Carnival took place at the central Taiwan county’s government office. Magistrate Wang Hui-mei (王惠美) announced six events staged locally over the next three months. All were part of Changhua County Government’s (CCG) plans to boost residents’ health and well-being. “We hope to combine the sports economy and tourism industry by attracting people to enjoy our lovely mountains, waters and plains,” Wang said, referring to the marathon as well as to the many Changhua attractions like open house factories and leisure farms.
One of the most important economic and tourism events for the county is the annual Taiwan’s Rice Heaven Tianzhong Marathon (TZM), which is jointly organized by CCG and Shukang Lohas Sports Association. Study Cheng (鄭宗政), TZM’s chief executive, founded the Tianzhong Tourism Business District Development Association in 2013 and heads the Changhua Marathon Association, a regional branch of the semiofficial Chinese Taipei Athletics Association supported by the Ministry of Education-administered Sports Administration (SA). Launched in 2012, TZM, whose title translates literally as “in the fields,” quickly emerged as one of the country’s most popular rural road running events. From around 4,000 runners in the first race, registrants more than doubled in 2013 and have continued increasing ever since. Now, TZM has to limit the number of participants to a total of 16,500 for the marathon, half-marathon and 9.7-kilometer run, despite the 2022 event attracting over 29,000 applicants. Pre-pandemic it also saw steadily increasing numbers of international participants to over 1,000 in 2019. In 2020 it joined the established Taipei, New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi and Kaohsiung Fubon Marathons as an SA-promoted, Taiwan-branded international competition, and as such it leverages economic benefits, fosters local pride and encourages people of all ages to engage in physical activity.
According to Cheng, TZM’s goals are to meet global standards and showcase the local environment. In the Greece-headquartered Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, it is recognized as one of 12 Taiwan events whose results qualify runners for prestigious international races like the U.S. Boston Marathon. Held during the second weekend of November, TZM occurs just ahead of the autumn harvest. “It’s a time when our rice fields are verdant with ripe grain and offer a gorgeous vision as farmers have yet to start reaping,” Cheng said.
Warm Vibe
A wide variety of food and beverage stands line the route to sustain athletes. (Courtesy of CMA)
TZM is acclaimed as one of the friendliest events on the marathon circuit, with wide support from Tianzhong residents who mobilize as volunteers in the thousands. Of 40,000 locals, one third have gotten involved in organizing and assisting at the annual races, according to a 2020 year-end report from the Center for Sport Business and Policy at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in the northern city of Hsinchu, which cooperated with Cheng’s team on a survey of the event’s socioeconomic effects. Integrating NTHU’s Departments of Anthropology, Cultural and Environmental Resources, Economics, Kinesiology, and Sociology, the center conducted a series of research projects on Taiwan’s major races. Center Director Huang Yu (黃煜) pointed out that TZM boasts three interesting marathon statistics: highest educational level of participants, with one-third holding a master’s degree; highest return on government spending, which accounted for less than 10 percent of total cost; and highest revenue for a single-day event, at NT$81 million (US$2.67 million). The latter rose to this figure from an estimated NT$20 million (US$0.66 million) in 2014 and NT$40 million (US$1.32 million) in 2016, according to Cheng.
Early events like the Taipei Marathon, launched in 1986, started when distance running was still a niche pastime and introduced full marathons to aficionados in Taiwan. TZM followed as the sport began to emerge as both a popular social phenomenon and a national event. The running boom saw marathons increase from fewer than 100 in the early 2010s to approximately 1,000 in 2019. “Running followed the craze for cycling that developed during the late 2000s as people turned to a simpler sport in the wake of the financial crisis,” Cheng said, referring to a global sports sociology trend. “A runner just needs to put on a pair of shoes and go out the door for a sense of achievement—it’s accessible to everyone.” This aspect is evident in what the director described as a carnival atmosphere at TZM, with family members, former classmates and company staff gathering for reunions or holiday get-togethers as runners or cheerleaders. “They all enjoy a day out in our charming region meeting friendly people,” he added.
Local residents are avid supporters of the road race and turn out in force to cheer on runners. (Courtesy of Frank Chen)
Run Fun
Sideline events to the marathon include live music. (Courtesy of CMA)
Many TZM participants stay overnight for sideline events held ahead of the big day, such as fairs, live music and installation art shows. CCG helps arrange package tours around Tianzhong and the neighboring townships of Ershui and Shetou. TZM is a top event held in the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area (NSA), which spans northern and central Taiwan. The NSA is one of 13 such recreational areas nationwide overseen by the Tourism Bureau (TB) under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC). In 2020, the town itself received the TB’s “small town” designation and its concomitant marketing and infrastructure support.
Tianzhong boasts two north-south rail service lines, offering access to the area via Taiwan Railways Administration’s (TRA) eponymous station and Taiwan High Speed Rail’s Changhua Station, which opened in 2015 in the township. The MOTC has approved plans to build a three-kilometer-long rail line connecting the two systems at Tianzhong, linking it with other small towns like Ershui and Jiji along the route between Changhua and neighboring Nantou County. Picturesque Jiji Station is on one of the TRA’s three Japanese-era branch lines originally constructed as part of hydroelectric power development in what is now Nantou’s Sun Moon Lake NSA. Cheng believes the MOTC integration project will be a boon to both residents and tourists as the new link becomes the main entrance for tourists to central Taiwan.
The route through the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area, which spans northern and central Taiwan, means runners progress through ever-changing natural scenery. (Courtesy of CMＡ)
Write to Pat Gao at cjkao@mofa.gov.tw