Abstract: Since national fitness became a national strategy, the development of marathon in China has faced new opportunities. The development of marathon is closely related to the construction of urban cultural-ethical standards and local economic development, and marathon has become a new landscape in urban culture. Taking the marathons in both Xi 'an and Kyoto as examples, this paper analyzes the favorable conditions for holding and developing marathon in Xi 'an and Kyoto which have similar cultural background, aiming to optimize Xi 'an's route to hold international marathon and build it into an international metropolis with global influence. From the success of the Kyoto marathon, it can be seen that the relevant national and local policies on marathon can promote the rapid development of other industries and play a positive role in marathon operation. Secondly, the Kyoto marathon has promoted the development of urban tourism through cultural soft power, which has in turn promoted both the competitiveness and popularity of the city and in-depth cultural experience for participants and tourists. Therefore, under the strategic goal of building strong sports city, Xi 'an can learn the successful experience of Kyoto marathon to propose a comprehensive strategy to develop marathon by taking into consideration policy, economy, culture and public awareness and make the event a booster to urban economic development, taste and international influence.

Key words: urban culture, similar urban conditions, marathon, development mode