Running sustainably: how ESG practices at non-mega sport events foster residents' value co-creation and support for sustainable development

Purpose This study examines how residents' event-related environmental, social and governance (ESG) perceptions at a recurring non-mega sport event influence their value co-creation intentions and support for sustainable destination and event development, and the moderating role of place attachment in this process. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire survey was conducted with 417 residents two weeks prior to the 2026 Wuhan Marathon. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4.1 was used to test the hypothesised direct, mediating and moderating relationships. Social embeddedness theory and the value-belief-norm (VBN) perspective served as the theoretical foundation. Findings Event-related ESG perceptions significantly and positively predicted both value co-creation intentions (β = 0.606) and support for sustainable destination and event development (β = 0.720). In the main model, value co-creation intentions positively predicted support (β = 0.213) and partially mediated the ESG-support relationship. Place attachment significantly but negatively moderated the ESG-value co-creation relationship, indicating a weaker link among highly attached residents, consistent with a place-based norm saturation pattern. The moderation of ESG on support was non-significant. Originality/value This study is among the first to conceptualise and empirically test event-related ESG perceptions from a resident standpoint in a non-mega sport event context. By integrating social embeddedness theory with the VBN perspective, it positions resident co-creation as a potential social licence mechanism through which ESG-oriented events gain community legitimacy, and offers a tentative, exploratory interpretation of place-based norm saturation as a possible explanation for the unexpected negative moderating role of place attachment.