US endurance event registration firm, RunSignup, has released a mid-year update to race trends, aggregating data for events using its platform (representing an estimated 40-45% of the US endurance event market).
Early 2024 data indicates that race participation has continued to grow, prices have increased, and younger runners are slowly making their way to races.
The top-line numbers in RunSignup’s latest report show that per-race registrations have continued to increase after nearly matching 2019 numbers in 2023. On average, registrations grew 8% compared to 2023.
Other key takeaways from the report include:
- Large races (5,000+ participants) grow 9%: Mid-size and large races have seen a slower post-pandemic recovery than small races, with races of more than 5,000 participants still lagging 16% behind their 2019 levels in 2023. Early 2024 data shows reason for big races to be encouraged: races of 1,000-5,000 participants and races of 5,000+ participants all saw an average 9% increase compared to last year.
- Race churn is steady at 5%: Prior to the pandemic, RunSignup found that 5-7% of races over 500 participants did not recur in the following year. In 2023, that number returned to normal rates, at 5.9%, and looks consistent in the first half of 2024.
- The average price rose 4-9%: Races continue to raise prices to compensate for inflation and increased cost. 10Ks show the biggest change, with 2024 prices 9% higher than 2023 and 20% higher than 2019.
- 16% of participants between 18-29: Race participation by 18-29 year-olds continued to increase slightly in the first half of 2024, up from 15% in 2023. While it’s encouraging that youth participation is increasing for the third year in a row, the levels of participation still lags well behind the 2015-2017 rates of 18-22%.
RunSignup Founder and CEO Bob Bickel said, “The data from the first half of 2024 tells us the same thing our customers and research have suggested: the endurance industry has not only bounced back, it is growing.
“Now is the time to capitalize on enthusiasm with engaging race day experiences that will bring runners back year after year.”
