Several Chinese cities have begun offering property subsidies to marathon runners in a bid to stimulate local housing markets.

The most recent initiative, unveiled by the Qixia district government in Nanjing, capital of the eastern Jiangsu province, offers 100,000 yuan (roughly $14,700) in housing subsidies for select properties in the district to the over 10,000 runners who completed the Nanjing Xianlin Half Marathon, held April 12. 

Runners who participated but did not finish are eligible for a 60,000-yuan subsidy, while those who registered but did not compete are also eligible to receive a 20,000-yuan discount.

In recent years, China has experienced a marathon boom, hosting nearly 600 races in 2025 and attracting millions of participants from around the world. But the country has sought to scale back races over the past year, citing economic losses and overcrowded competitions. Marathon runners are considered a demographic with comparatively high purchasing power, making them targets of the new housing initiatives.

Prior to the Nanjing Xianlin Half Marathon, the Qixia district government announced that the subsidies would apply to 14 newly built housing projects in the district, with units from 89 to 400 square meters priced between 22,000 and 52,000 yuan per square meter. New properties in Nanjing cost, on average, 30,000 yuan per square meter.

One of the project’s sales consultants told domestic media that some runners have already inquired about using the subsidies, which are valid until May 31 and can be redeemed only once.

According to the Shanghai-based E-House China Real Estate Research Institute, Nanjing faces the combined pressure of a high housing inventory and a low purchase rate. As of February 2026, the city’s stock-to-sales ratio of newly built residential properties — calculated as the current month’s inventory volume divided by the average transaction area over the preceding six months — was 34.8, one of the higher levels recorded by E-House China’s 100-city survey.

Other cities around China — including several in the central Hubei province and the northwestern Shaanxi province — have also implemented similar initiatives offering housing subsidies to marathon participants.

In Wuxi, Jiangsu province, the city government announced on March 18 that, in collaboration with 43 real estate development companies, housing discounts of 80,000 yuan would be offered to runners who completed the 2026 Wuxi Marathon on March 22. Those who registered for the marathon are also eligible for a 50,000 yuan subsidy, valid until the end of the year.

“Marathon runners typically possess strong purchasing power, high levels of education, and a focus on healthy lifestyles … making them the target demographic for the housing market,” Yan Yuejin, vice president of E-House China, told domestic media.

The move to combine marathons with housing subsidies has also been critiqued. On April 15, the General Administration of Sports of China reposted an article published by its affiliated newspaper, China Sports Daily, explicitly condemning what it termed the “over-commercialization of marathons.”

“Offering housing subsidies to participants … runs counter to the public-welfare nature of grassroots sports and also taints the inherently pure spirit of nationwide fitness activities,” it said.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: VCG)