The Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of High-level Marathon in China

This study analyzes the spatial characteristics and influencing factors of high-level marathons in China via the Nearest Neighbor Index, the Gravity Center Model, Kernel Density Intensity Analysis. The results are shown as follows:In the scale structure, the inter-provincial distribution of the number of events shows a "pyramid" structure; in the spatial structure, the amount of marathons shows a spatial pattern of "more in the west and east but less in the center" and "more in the south but less in the north". In terms of space, the marathon competitions' gravity center is close to the economic gravity center and population gravity center of China. Concerning the agglomeration characteristics, the marathon race shows a clear agglomeration state across the country, i.e. the number of events outside the first stairway decreases from the eastern coast to the west inland with increasing altitude and mainly clusters in the southeast coastal areas, and other areas are relatively scattered. The dominant factors in the spatial distribution of marathon are economic strength, social development level, population base and level of tourism development.