Jinan's Olympic Sports Center hosts Shandong Taishan F.C. home matches — the city's football club, previously known as Shandong Luneng, that is one of the most successful teams in Chinese Super League history. Attending a home match (the season runs March to November) is one of the more entertaining things you can do in Jinan if your visit coincides with a fixture: Chinese football crowds are loud and passionate, and the stadium atmosphere is dramatically different from the spring park serenity.
Tickets are available at the stadium or online. The surrounding sports complex includes running tracks and courts that are open to the public outside match days. The area is in the northern city center and accessible by Metro Line 1.