Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners

Abstract

This study attempted to explore how World Heritage sites and mass participation marathons may have an effect on each other. Feedback and comments of marathon runners (N=530) who participated in the World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon and the Mt. Fuji Marathon were content analyzed to investigate: (a) How runners perceive the image of a World Heritage site featured in a marathon; (b) How is a value proposition that bundles heritage and marathon experiences accepted by runners. The findings showed that despite the featured World Heritage status appearing to be the key element in designing the value proposition, operational elements and social interaction elements also played vital roles in the value cocreation process. Aiming to use heritage tourism resources as a differentiating factor, marathon organizers need to ensure the quality of operational elements and better involve local businesses and residents as active participants.