Photo © Jeff Ferguson | Dreamstime.com
Running event organizers know how to get creative — Krispy Kreme Challenge, anyone? Or maybe The Zombie Fun Run?
And now, a hyper-local race trend involving running events spinning off other running events or programs is picking up pace. This strategy can be a terrific way to create new and exciting events with a built-in brand while also increasing registration numbers and bolstering economic impact.
Case in point: The Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) has launched the PRRO-lific Finisher Program to recognize — via a special PRRO-lific Finisher Medal — runners who complete all six of the PRRO Circuit non-marathon events over the course of their running career. Those six destination events are:
• The Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, Fla.
• The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, D.C.
• The Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, Wash.
• The Steamboat Classic 4 Mile in Peoria, Ill.
• The Boilermaker 15K in Utica, N.Y.
• The Quad-City Times Bix 7 Mile in Davenport, Iowa
“For 31 years, the PRRO Circuit has focused on featuring world-class elite competition,” PRRO President Don Kardong said in a statement. “With the PRRO-lific Finisher Program, the Circuit is now extending its reach to running enthusiasts of all abilities by recognizing their accomplishment.”
What’s more, all runners completing four or more of the PRRO races will receive guaranteed entry into any other PRRO race needed to earn their PRRO-lific Finisher Medal (provided their entry request is made at least six weeks prior to the requested race). All PRRO-lific Finishers also will be recognized on the PRRO website.
Another example: The Baltimore Running Festival — which includes a marathon, half-marathon, and 10K and 5K races — also offers a hybrid tongue-in-cheek “Baltimoron-a-thon” in which participants run both the 5K and the half-marathon back-to-back on the same day.
“We all have non-running friends who think that runners are a little off,” proclaims the festival’s website in promoting the Baltimoron-a-thon. “They can’t understand why you do it and might even call you names behind your back. Runners, on the other hand, KNOW they are a little crazy and are proud to boast about it! The Baltimoron-a-thon is a way for our wildest runners to get their kicks and poke a little fun at the fact that most people think they are nuts!”
The event (slated for Oct. 17 this year) is capped at 500 participants, who must be able to complete the 5K course in under 60 minutes and the 13.1-mile course in fewer than five hours.
Like the PRRO-lific Finisher Program, runners who complete the Baltimoron-a-thon are offered incentives. They include a special Baltimoron race bib valid for both events, an exclusive Baltimoron medal in addition to half-marathon and 5K medals, and a $5 savings for registering for both races at one time.
The TCS London Marathon, meanwhile, will expand to a two-day event next year, April 24-25, 2027 — marking a first for the iconic race, which is expected to now allow a record 100,000 runners to participate in what organizers say could raise more than £150 million for charity. The expanded marathon also could generate up to £400 million in social and economic benefits, they add.
Among the increased participation opportunities will be outreach to every school in London, each of which will receive two guaranteed marathon entries for teachers or staff members. Additional entry places will be allocated to boroughs along the route to support local charities and community organizations.
“The expanded format comes after more than 1.3 million people entered the ballot for the 2026 race, underlining the growing popularity of what is already one of the world’s largest marathons,” reads a statement from Abbott World Marathon Majors, which is the title sponsor of the London Marathon. “Participants on both days will follow the traditional route from Greenwich to Westminster.”
London Marathon Events (LME) CEO Hugh Brasher even went so far as to call the format expansion “our most ambitious evolution to date” — dubbing it a “once-in-a-generation reimagining of what a marathon and city-wide celebration of activity can be.”
The only catch? Runners will not be permitted to participate in the in-person marathon both days. No worries — they can still cross the pond and the pursue the PRRO-lific Finisher Medal.
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