Wanda Strategically Partners with WMM to Take Top Marathon Race to China

26.04.2017

Signing ceremony
Chairman Wang Jianlin gives a speech at the ceremony.
The world’s largest, most popular and highest-level marathon series will soon stage a race in China. On April 26, Wanda Group and Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) signed a strategic agreement in Beijing. According to the agreement, Wanda will hold three WMM races in the Asia-Pacific region in the coming ten years, including a race in China, which will be the first time a WMM race is held in a developing country and fill the gap of an international marathon event in China.

Established in 2006, WMM is a series comprising six World Marathon Majors for the cities of Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City, the IAAF World Championships Marathon, and the Olympic Games Marathon. WMM is the world’s largest and highest-level marathon series with all its races being held in top cities of the world, and enjoys a status in marathon comparable to that of the Grand Slam in tennis. In 2016, each WMM race attracted participants, including marathon athletes and amateurs, from more than 100 countries, and its six races had a total of up to 230,000 participants and a total audience of more than 6.5 million. MMA represents the highest level of marathon in terms of organization, influence, participation, performance, and finishes. It is extremely difficult for a marathon to join WMM. For this reason, the Tokyo Marathon has been the only addition to the series in its 11 years of history.

Marathon is currently the most popular and fastest-developing mass participation sport in China, with many Chinese cities holding marathons, but none of them is internationally known and recognized. Under the current agreement, Wanda will get the exclusive right to hold a WMM race in China in a city jointly selected by Wanda and WMM. The race will not only bring the development of marathon in China to a higher level but also significantly raise the international reputation of the hosting city.

Wanda Sports is one of the largest sports companies in the world, being an exclusive global or China partner of a dozen of international sports organizations including FIFA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA), and International Skating Union (ISU), and operating more than 20 sports events in football, skating, cycling, basketball and IRONMAN Triathlon in over 20 countries. Wanda Sports’ development strategy in China is to continuously develop proprietary world-class and unique international sports events, with plans to create at least ten major international sports events in China before 2020. The international sports events that Wanda Sports currently operates in China include IRONMAN Triathlon, “China Cup” International Football Championship and world cycling race “Tour of Guangxi”. The FIBA 3x3 and the FIBA Asia Champions Cup will soon be held in China as well.

“Our Race Directors look forward to working with Wanda to introduce the Series to new audiences in new territories, and to involving our runners in new initiatives,” said Tim Hadzima, WMM General Manager. “Nearly a million people apply every year to run in WMM races and our new partnership with Wanda Group will develop this phenomenal interest in marathon running.”

“Wanda plans to inaugurate the World Marathon Major China race in two or three years, adding a new world-class sports brand in China”, said Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin. “Wanda Sports’ goal for 2017 is to create two to three world-class sports events.”

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