Thirty years from 1992 to 2023: A bibliometric study of the Marathon Sports in China

This article uses triple analysis tools, namely Citespace, Vosviewer, and ArcGIS, to conduct a visual analysis of core literature published in the CNKI database from 1992 to 2023, focusing on the themes of "marathon" or "road running." The analysis generates visualizations such as keyword co-occurrence knowledge maps, keyword bursting maps, and heat maps of research institutions and regions. The objective is to explore the research hotspots, evolution, and frontiers of China's marathon studies based on the significance of sports, providing a systematic, vertical, and periodic overview of current China's marathon research. The study aims to fill the gap in the comprehensive, longitudinal overview of marathon research in China under a full cyclic historical development perspective. Additionally, it seeks to explore the dynamic development of marathon research in China throughout the entire cycle, contributing to a clear, systematic, and visual representation of marathon sports research. The findings are expected to offer valuable insights and references to promote the clarity, systematization, and visualization of marathon sports research in China.