Sports tourism is booming – 15,000 athletes from around the world join the Kinmen Marathon!

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

Sports tourism has gained increasing popularity among travelers in recent years, as changing scenery can make exercise more exciting. On the 12th, Kinmen County hosted its 7th “Kinmen Marathon,” where 15,000 participants rose early to run under the pleasant autumn weather. Both the half marathon and full marathon broke venue records, making for an impressive event.


▲ 15,000 runners from around the globe joined the Kinmen Marathon bright and early. (Photo / Provided by Kinmen County Government)

Motivated by the chance to break venue records and win prize money, athletes from various countries put on an impressive show. In the half marathon, local athlete Ho Chin-ping finished first with a time of 1:08:12, surpassing the previous venue record of 1:09:14. Soon after, veteran runner Hsu Yu-fang sped ahead to finish the women’s half marathon in 1:18:46, also breaking the previous record of 1:19:50. These two seasoned athletes both exceeded the venue records, winning not only NT$25,000 and NT$15,000 in champion prize money respectively but also an additional NT$5,000 for beating the record.


▲ Kenyan runner Samson Kiptoo Bungei, spurred by the incentive to beat the record, finished the men’s full marathon in 2:17:44 (previous venue record: 2:19:22). (Photo / Provided by Kinmen County Government)

In the full marathon, attention among male runners was once again focused on Kenya. Samson Kiptoo Bungei, driven by the goal to surpass the record, pushed hard to finish in 2:17:44 (previous venue record: 2:19:22). In addition to the NT$200,000 champion prize, he also received an extra NT$10,000 for breaking the record. Another Kenyan female athlete, Emily Chepkemoi Samoei, was also inspired to finish in 2:39:10 (previous venue record: 2:19:22), while Ethiopian athlete Taemo Shumye Woldegebriel finished in 2:40:33, both surpassing the venue record. Emily Chepkemoi Samoei claimed the gold in the women’s division, winning the NT$100,000 top prize along with an additional NT$10,000 for breaking the record.
Both the male and female champions remarked, “The people of Kinmen are so warm and supportive—so many cheered us on.” Regarding the course’s inclines, Samson Kiptoo Bungei commented, “It was quite challenging!”

Among domestic athletes, Hsieh Chien-che, who recently transitioned from middle- to long-distance running, ran her first marathon last year at the Fubon Marathon with a time of 2:49:32. This year, she opened with a strong performance of 2:48:17, placing third in the women’s marathon and achieving the best result among local female participants. After the race, she mentioned that her feet were covered in blisters and said, “It hurt so much!” but she endured the pain to cross the finish line. The best result among local male marathoners was achieved by one of Kinmen’s long-distance running stars, Ho Chin-wen, who gave his all in front of his fellow locals. He even crossed the finish line barefoot and finished third with a time of 2:34:28.

The Kinmen Marathon, sponsored annually by the Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc., offers participants who complete the full marathon and have a finisher’s record a bottle of Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor, helping to boost the event’s popularity.