U.S. road race participation trends

September 18, 2001

Santa Barbara, Calif. — The State of the Sport Report, Parts I and II reviewed general runner population figures, running numbers by state and the largest races in the U.S. (see archived Running USA wires August 2001, #64 and #69, at www.runningusa.org/cgi/index_archives.pl.)

Parts III and IV will examine the trends in road race participation and the current running market.

Most common distances

The USATF Road Running Information Center (USATF RRIC) estimates the following totals for road race finishers in U.S. events in 2000:

5K: 2,815,000
10K: 1,089,000
8K - 5M: 605,000
Half-marathon: 458,000
Marathon: 451,000
Other distances: 2,029,000
(Out of 7,447,000 total finishers)

Growth of 5ks and 'women-only' races replaced by longer distances and 'women-centered' events

Overall, U.S. races of all distances and all sizes grew by approximately 5 percent. The rapid growth of the 5Ks and women-only events noted in recent years did not continue in 2000. For events that submitted results in both 1999 and 2000 to the USATF RRIC, 5Ks increased by 8 percent but if Race for the Cure and Revlon Run for Women events are eliminated from the total, the typical 5K showed no growth. The distance continues to dominate, however, with almost 5,000 different events in 2000.

"Women-only" events were up by only 1 percent when 1999 and 2000 totals were compared. "Women-centered cause" events that are often coed and generally well-promoted, on the other hand, continued to do well led by the Revlon Run for Women (up 22 percent for the New York and Los Angeles races) and Race for the Cure (up 15 percent for all locations and distances combined).

As noted in previous wires, the average U.S. marathon grew by a solid 8 percent and helped fuel an increase in the half-marathon popularity (up 5 percent). Indications are that 2001 will be another banner year for both distances. The addition of the new Rock 'n? Roll Half-Marathon in Virginia Beach (with 15,000 participants) should have a significant impact on the totals for that distance.

Sex and age demographics of U.S. road racers

The USATF RRIC notes that demographics for U.S. road races vary greatly from event to event so the figures included below should be viewed as an overall average of sex and age participation totals rather than as a predictor for any given event. There are a number of examples of race directors and sponsors attracting a particular demographic just by the nature and promotion of a race that could override standard preference patterns for certain distances, for example.

Percent of women in road races:

1991:
5K: 44 percent
10K: 27 percent
Half-marathon: n/a
Marathon: 19 percent

2000:
5K: 50 percent
10K: 37 percent
Half-marathon: 39 percent
Marathon: 38 percent

The growth of women in the longer-distance events has been more dramatic because the female percentage was much lower to begin with. In 1980 the typical marathon had only 10 percent women, for example, compared to 38 percent today. The number of women in 5Ks has hovered around 50 percent in the last two years. This percent figure is for a typical 5K and thus does NOT include the women-only or women-centered events.

Percent of Juniors (19 and under) and Masters (40 and over) in road races
(Juniors, open and 40+ divisions)

1991
5K: 21%, 51%, 27%
10K: 5%, 62%, 33%
Marathon: 1%, 59%, 40%

2000
5K: 12%, 48%, 39%
10K: 6%, 50%, 43%
Half-marathon: 2%, 55%, 43%
Marathon: 2%, 54%, 44%

All: 5%, 53%, 42%

Source: USATF Road Running Information Center

The number of masters race entrants (age 40 and older) has been increasing each year. The influx of women has masked this trend, however, because the median age for female racers tends to be about five years younger than for males. Although younger, the median ages for the general running population noted by American Sports Data, Inc. also reflect this five-year difference in sexes: average age of U.S. male runners: 29.2, average age of U.S female runners: 24.2 (from the ASD 2001 Superstudy of Sports Participation.)

Besides an increase in the percent of masters in the 5K and the 10K, the most obvious change in the above chart is the smaller percent of junior runners in the 5K. Ten years ago, 5Ks averaged about 21 percent runners under the age of 20 but in 2000 the percent was down to 12 percent. The differences between the sex and age demographics of race participants in 2000 and the potential of the younger runner market will be examined in State of the Sport Part IV.

For more information on running demographics and statistics, visit http://www.runningusa.org and http://www.Americansportsdata.com.