Photo © Marcos Souza | Dreamstime.com
Road racing as an industry just keeps setting its own personal bests. In 2024 alone, the world record for largest marathon ever was broken twice, first in Berlin, then in New York City, where more than 56,000 runners crossed the finish line at the TCS New York City Marathon.
Running USA has released a new report, 2024’s Top Races: Year In Review – and make no mistake, it tells us great things about the economic impact being generated by the running event industry. Here are four insights:
- In 2024, 10 races saw more than 25,000 people cross their finish lines
- 15 states are represented in the 25 largest races of the year
- More than one-third of the top 100 most popular races are half marathons
- The 5K remains the favorite “gateway to road running”
But inside these facts and figures are even more insights, and many of these pertain to sports tourism as a whole:
Recognizable Brands and Themes are Big Business: Themed races remain popular. For example, in Florida, eight out of the top 10 races were Disney-themed, including the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (this included both the marathon itself and a half marathon that was modified to a 7.1-mile course because of extreme weather conditions), Disney Princess Half Marathon, Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend 10K and the RunDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend (multiple races earning mentions in the top 10). California also hosted Disney races.
Destinations and Scenery Also Remain Important: Some races aren’t necessarily themed but the location brings out the runners. In Hawai’i, the Honolulu Marathon drew more than 18,000 participants. In Washington, DC, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, marketed as the “runner’s rite of spring,” attracted 17,632 registrants to the early April race that wove through the area’s spectacular cherry blossoms. In San Francisco, the Bay to Breakers combines a party atmosphere with a scenic course, and in 2024, brought in 15,020 runners.
Turkey Trots Reign: Turkey trots, the Thanksgiving Day (or weekend) races, took place nationwide and scored highly among the top races. While many were 5Ks, other distances were represented as well. The largest of these was the YMCA Buffalo Turkey Trot 8K Race with 11,998 participants; a close second was the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot in California, with 11,900.
Other holiday-themed events include those around Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, the Fourth of July and Valentine’s Day. Road racing may also be tied in with city events, such as, in Louisville, the GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival, with races of multiple distances.
Brands Still Evident: A number of nationally branded races were represented; these included the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, which offers events in various distances, and the Hot Chocolate Race, another syndicate.
Racing Continues to Grow: According to the report, the top races in 2024 saw 1,414,000 finishers. This number is 12.7 percent higher than the top 100 races in 2023, where there were 1,254,233 finishers. The 2024 top 100 races is close to the 2019 top 100 races, which saw 1,450,487 finishers.
A Shift in the Top 10: In the list of the top ten road races (where the TCS New York City Marathon holds the number one spot), the Boston Marathon dropped from number eight to number 10. Outside of this change, the rest of the top 10 remained unchanged.
Jay Holder, executive director of Running USA, says the growth of the sport can be tied into individuals’ wish to be a part of a larger community, something that came to the fore during the pandemic.
“The desire to be a part of something unique extends to hundreds of races across the country. As race organizers invest and innovate the participant experience, running events are moving to the top of people’s FOMO lists. Yes, after years of being afraid to say it, I am finally comfortable proclaiming that running is back. Finisher numbers are mirroring or exceeding what we saw in 2019, the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic’s start, and they are not showing any signs of retreating.”
Additionally, he notes, “The data indicates that our sport is experiencing a unique moment of healthy retention from an active running base, but also newfound experiences from those curious about running and what it might be able to bring to their lives.”
The report is available free to members of Running USA and can be purchased by all others. The page with ordering information can be found here.
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