🎙️Opening
There’s this one moment when you wake up before the sun rises.
You arrive at the starting line, check your shoes, your bib number — ready.
Somewhere between nerves and excitement, you tell yourself all those training sessions will pay off
And when the air horn blows, you start running.
That’s more or less what marathon race looks like.
In marathons, people run for fitness, for personal goals, or sometimes, just to keep up with the trend.
But marathon culture has quietly grown into something much bigger than that.
It moves money.
It drives tourism.
And Southeast Asia may have more potential in this space than many realise.
Let’s take a closer look.
Hello and welcome to The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly Dispatch Podcast.
I’m Cecilia Setiawan, this is where we slow down the headlines and make sense of the stories shaping our Southeast Asia region.
🏃 The Global Marathon Trend
Let’s start this episode with some numbers.
The number of people signing up for marathons continues to grow year by year.
And one example of that is the London Marathon, one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
More than 1.33 million people entered the public ballot for the 2027 London Marathon, with 300 thousand of them coming from outside the UK.
That’s nearly double the number of applications for the 2024 edition, a new record!
So, why are so many people signing up?
Long story short, running is one of the easiest sports to start.
And social media has turned running into something shared.
People post their pace, collect medals, and upload race-day photos online.
Eventually, it becomes a trend.
And yes, a bit of FOMO probably helps too. But if that gets people to care more about their health, why not?
The benefit? Health, of course.
But beyond that, there’s also big money involved.
Hugh Brasher, the chief executive of London Marathon Events, told the BBC they are exploring the possibility of expanding the marathon into a two-day event.
And if that happens, organisers estimate it could generate more than 400 million pounds in economic and social benefits, while raising over 150 million pounds for charities.
That’s serious money.
And it doesn’t stop at the race itself.
Many international runners extend their stay, turning race weekend into a holiday.
And that is where sports tourism begins to emerge.
According to UN Tourism, the global sports tourism market was valued at around 609 billion US dollars in 2023, and is projected to grow by 16 percent by 2030.
And marathons are clearly part of that.
And that brings us to Southeast Asia.
🏞️ Southeast Asia’s Marathon Tourism Potential
Southeast Asia may not host a World Marathon Major, at least not yet.
But the region is home to a growing number of races recognised by World Athletics.
But this is not about labels or tiers.
You can always Google those later.
What’s more interesting is how Southeast Asia offers something else: unforgettable race experiences.
Take the Angkor Empire Marathon in 🇰🇭 Cambodia, held in August this year. The race recently earned a place on Forbes’ list of the world’s best destination marathons.
And it’s not difficult to see why.
Imagine running past ancient temple complexes, with Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument, standing in the background.
Then, in the very same month, there’s the Maybank Marathon in Bali, 🇮🇩 Indonesia.
Rice fields, local villages, cultural performances along the route.
It might even make you feel like you can run more than 42 kilometres.
And then there’s the 🇻🇳 Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa in September.
A completely different experience.
High-altitude trails.
Dense bamboo forests.
Mountain ridges stretching into the distance.
Just breathtaking.
And these are just a few examples.
💰 The Money
And that experience translates into economic impact.
Take the Maybank Marathon, for example.
The 2025 edition is estimated to have contributed around 170.8 billion rupiah to Bali’s economy during the event period.
That figure increased by around 45 billion rupiah compared to the previous year.
The reasons include higher participant numbers, increased spending, and longer stays from runners arriving from more than 50 countries.
Local businesses in Bali also reportedly saw their revenue increase by an average of 56 percent during the event.
Singapore tells a similar story.
The Singapore Marathon is projected to contribute around 36 million US dollars to the country’s economy.
That’s just… wow
🎧 Closing
People may come for the race. But they often stay for the experience.
So perhaps marathon races today are no longer just about crossing the finish line.
And while marathon racing in Southeast Asia is still developing,
the region has real potential to carve out its place: offering race experiences shaped by breathtaking scenery, culture, and atmosphere.
And that’s what moves money.
And eventually, the economy.
I’m Cecilia Setiawan, and this has been The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly Dispatch Podcast, where we slow down the noise and follow the region’s compass.
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter at thesoutheastasiadesk.com, and join us again next weekend for stories to linger over, one weekend at a time.
