Affluence is main driver of grassroots running

In recent years, the running trend has gripped China, pushed by the rise of the middle class.

A report published by the Chinese Athletic Association in January shows that 1,102 marathons were held in the country last year, from 22 in 2011, and the number of participants had risen from 400,000 to 4.98 million.

The association said it would continue to improve the marathon management system, and would strive to hold more than 1,900 races by 2020, generating revenue of 120 billion yuan ($17.4 million).

The report noted that Jiangsu province — the country’s second-largest economy in terms of GDP — was home to the largest number of runners, the majority being middle class people ages 24 to 34.

Grassroots running clubs and societies have sprung up and registered a strong presence in large cities nationwide. For example, S-Orson Funrun Beijing, established in 2014, has more than 3,000 members and organizes a night run every Saturday at the Olympic Forest Park.

Moreover, a large number of groups post details of runs and related events every day on the networking website Douban.

Most large cities have public parks and residential communities with decent jogging paths that feature signs encouraging people to take at least 10,000 steps every day.

The growing popularity of long-distance running has coincided with the growth of increasingly affluent consumers who are willing to invest more in staying fit, according to a 2016 study published by data management company Nielsen and the Chinese Athletic Association.

The study found that marathons are most popular with well-educated, financially successful young professionals, noting that 24 percent of regular runners hold master’s degrees and 36 percent work in middle or senior management.

China’s middle class is also becoming richer, quicker. A 2012 report by McKinsey & Company predicted that the average disposable monthly income of urban households would double from the 2010 level of about 27,500 yuan to roughly 55,000 yuan in 2020.

In 2016, the US management consultancy surveyed 10,000 consumers ages 18 to 56 in 44 cities across China. The results indicated that 73 percent of urban residents regularly participated in sporting activities, and the rate had been rising by 3 to 4 percentage points annually in recent years.