A total of 800 runners from 100 teams started the 132.8-kilometer race, which finished in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Money spinner

The success of the relay comes as little surprise considering both Shanghai and Zhejiang boast a rich sports tradition, fast-growing sports economies and massive grassroots sports populations.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China under the leadership of the CPC, a total of 13 Olympians from Shanghai have won 19 Olympic gold medals, while 400 Shanghai natives have been crowned world champions across a vast array of sports. In the last five years, Shanghai has organized over 700 major domestic and international sports events.

According to 2019 data from the city's sports bureau, 43.7 percent of Shanghai's population regularly participate in sports activities. Shanghai's total sports industry was valued at over 178 billion yuan ($27 billion) in 2019, growing at an average rate of 18 percent since 2014.

Zhejiang boasts 12 Olympic champions with 18 Olympic golds. Official statistics show that about 42 percent of the province's population regularly participates in sports. In addition, it is the home to 11 national sports industry bases, with its sports industry valued at 261.5 billion yuan and comprised of over 36,000 companies. The province is also preparing to host the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

"Sports can be an indicator of a nation's overall strength, and sports development is closely connected to a country's overall development. Under the leadership of the CPC, Zhejiang's sports sector has experienced tremendous development for the past century along with social and economic growth," said Zheng Yao, the director of Zhejiang Sports Bureau.

"To facilitate sports development, we have been exploring new methods and have achieved great results in competitive sports, grassroots fitness and the sports industry.

"Sports can also greatly benefit people's lives, of course. The healthier people are, the more power a society can harness for its overall development. We should provide people with the best quality and most convenient sports service via a variety of methods."

Bao Qi, a 97-year-old former navy general who joined the CPC in 1942, was a guest of honor at the race's opening ceremony. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Zhejiang is certainly delivering on those principles. Deqing county in Huzhou, for example, is attracting urbanites from nearby cities to its Moganshan Sports Town to enjoy outdoor activities and clean air in the mountainous area.

The 185-square-kilometer Moganshan township has a population of 31,000, with forest coverage of 90 percent. The area's rugged terrain makes it a perfect location to host outdoor activities.

Xia Yusen operates a sports-themed homestay, named Qiyu, in Moganshan Sports Town. Each week he organizes various outdoor sports activities, such as hiking, camping and mountain biking, with both visitors and locals signing up for the fun.

"I want to attract all sports lovers to my homestay so we can enjoy the benefits and fun of outdoor activities. We can gather together and communicate," said Xia, who claimed his business earned about 400,000 yuan ($61,000) profit last year.

"Visitors can play various sports here in the homestay such as table tennis, rock climbing, swimming and have fitness training in our gym. And we also have outdoor activities here like hiking and mountain biking. We organize different outdoor sports activities according to the weather conditions of the different seasons.

"I have turned my sports hobby into my career. I can use my experience in sports to better serve the local residents and visitors who come to Moganshan and let them enjoy the charm of outdoor sports activities. There are many famous sports town in the world, but they are not so common in China. I hope to help build Moganshan into one of the country's most renowned sports towns."