We have attempted to put together the Largest 100 races that were timed from 2019. We have been accumulating this list for a couple of years (here is 2018). While we try, we may have missed some races, or we might not have the numbers exactly right since this is a manual process. So if you see missing or incorrect data, please let us know at info@runsignup.com.
We would also like feedback on whether we should try to create a list of largest untimed races, however the definition gets a little fuzzy, and it is difficult to prove out numbers.
Also, please refer to our Race Trends report for an in depth view of data from across thousands of races and millions of participants. And our bi-annual Registration Market Analysis.
Overall. it was a good year with modest growth of 1 – 2.3% depending on how you count it. There was a one year only race – the Tunnel to Viaduct 8K with 25,000 participants – counting that gives you 2.3%. Leaving that off and replacing it with the 101 place race on the list brings it down to 1.4%.
The total of 1,870,000 participants across the Top 100 represents about 6-10% of the total number of participants across all races, depending on which market estimate you believe.
Here is the full list:
| 2019 Rank | 2019 Total | 2019 Growth | Name |
| 1 | 60,752 | 11% | AJC Peachtree Road Race |
| 2 | 53,519 | 2% | TCS New York City Marathon |
| 3 | 45,852 | 3% | Bank of America Chicago Marathon |
| 4 | 42,342 | -23% | Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend |
| 5 | 41,197 | -8% | Bolder Boulder |
| 6 | 35,433 | 16% | Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas |
| 7 | 35,127 | 2% | Boston Marathon + BAA 5k |
| 8 | 34,832 | -9% | Lilac Bloomsday Run |
| 9 | 34,565 | -5% | Blue Cross Broad Street Run |
| 10 | 32,362 | -2% | Disney’s Princess Half Marathon |
| 11 | 32,285 | 9% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – Chicago |
| 12 | 31,325 | -15% | Flying Pig Marathon |
| 13 | 29,287 | 7% | Cooper River Bridge Run |
| 14 | 26,967 | 1% | Honolulu Marathon |
| 15 | 26,818 | 6% | Brooklyn Half Marathon |
| 16 | 26,476 | -1% | Gasparilla Distance Classic Race Weekend |
| 17 | 26,106 | -4% | Marine Corps Marathon |
| 18 | 26,096 | 12% | Los Angeles Marathon |
| 19 | 25,729 | 9% | Philadelphia Marathon, Half Marathon, and Rothman Institute 8K |
| 20 | 25,244 | Tunnel to Viaduct 8k | |
| 21 | 25,168 | 1% | Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend |
| 22 | 25,107 | 1% | Army Ten Miler |
| 23 | 24,709 | 7% | Chevron Houston Marathon / Aramco Half Marathon / ABB 5K |
| 24 | 24,659 | 12% | United Airlines NYC Half |
| 25 | 24,485 | 18% | St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville |
| 26 | 23,668 | -10% | Star Wars – The Dark Side Weekend |
| 27 | 23,539 | 11% | San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon |
| 28 | 23,426 | -2% | Oneamerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon |
| 29 | 23,060 | -3% | 12th Annual Pat’s Run |
| 30 | 20,781 | -1% | Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle |
| 31 | 20,358 | 6% | Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile |
| 32 | 20,170 | -5% | Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K |
| 33 | 20,140 | -5% | Pittsburgh Marathon |
| 34 | 19,965 | 10% | Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Half Marathon, and 8K |
| 35 | 19,702 | 2% | St. Jude Memphis Marathon |
| 36 | 19,535 | 3% | Lifetime Miami Marathon, Half Marathon & Tropical 5k |
| 37 | 18,957 | 1% | Grandma’s Marathon – Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon |
| 38 | 18,852 | 27% | Cowtown Marathon |
| 39 | 18,806 | 7% | Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon |
| 40 | 18,336 | -25% | Bay to Breakers |
| 41 | 18,091 | 34% | The Great Pumpkin Run |
| 42 | 17,796 | -22% | Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon & Medtronic TC 10 Mile |
| 43 | 17,768 | 0% | Mercedes Corporate Run Miami |
| 44 | 17,587 | 0% | San Francisco Marathon |
| 45 | 17,056 | 24% | Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon |
| 46 | 17,020 | -4% | Baltimore Running Festival |
| 47 | 16,864 | 6% | Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot |
| 48 | 16,649 | -11% | Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon and Half-Marathon |
| 49 | 16,182 | 8% | Indianapolis Monumental Marathon |
| 50 | 15,990 | 1% | Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon |
| 51 | 15,569 | -1% | Utica Boilermaker Road Race |
| 52 | 15,382 | 6% | Richmond Marathon, Half Marathon, and 8K |
| 53 | 14,348 | -5% | Oklahoma City Marathon |
| 54 | 13,942 | 2% | Crescent City Classic |
| 55 | 13,914 | 19% | Austin Marathon & Half Marathon |
| 56 | 13,823 | 5% | Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon |
| 57 | 13,789 | 14% | Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle |
| 58 | 13,510 | -10% | Drumstick Dash |
| 59 | 13,333 | -1% | Santa Cruz to Capitola Wharf to Wharf Race |
| 60 | 13,280 | 81% | Crazy Legs |
| 61 | 13,106 | -2% | Detroit Thanksgiving Parade Turkey Trot |
| 62 | 13,063 | -2% | Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon & 1/2 Marathon |
| 63 | 12,682 | 17% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – San Francisco |
| 64 | 12,616 | -11% | Gate River Run |
| 65 | 12,604 | -18% | Shamrock Run |
| 66 | 12,530 | 2% | Columbus Marathon |
| 67 | 12,414 | -1% | New Balance Bronx |
| 68 | 12,399 | -11% | Fargo Marathon |
| 69 | 11,912 | 8% | Buffalo YMCA TURKEY TROT 8 KILOMETER RACE |
| 70 | 11,854 | 4% | NYRR Five-Borough Series: Queens 10K |
| 71 | 11,840 | -2% | California International Marathon |
| 72 | 11,815 | 0% | Great Aloha Run |
| 73 | 11,544 | 4% | Falmouth Road Race |
| 74 | 11,396 | -10% | Surf City USA Marathon and Half Marathon |
| 75 | 11,314 | 11% | Rocky Run |
| 76 | 11,273 | 26% | Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon & 1/2 Marathon |
| 77 | 11,141 | -4% | Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon and Half Marathon |
| 78 | 11,124 | 2% | Amway River Bank Run |
| 79 | 11,081 | 30% | Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon |
| 80 | 10,817 | 8% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – Dallas |
| 81 | 10,750 | 0% | OC Marathon |
| 82 | 10,600 | -9% | The Giant Race |
| 83 | 10,554 | 2% | City of Pittsburgh Great Race |
| 84 | 10,497 | 16% | Hot Chocolate 15k/5k |
| 85 | 10,403 | 1% | Spring Lake 5 Miler |
| 86 | 10,110 | -23% | The Ohio State 4 Miler |
| 87 | 9,972 | -13% | NYRR Staten Island Half Marathon and 5K(dropped in 2017) |
| 88 | 9,956 | 8% | Manchester Road Race |
| 89 | 9,877 | 2% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – Seattle |
| 90 | 9,848 | 9% | San Jose Rock n Roll |
| 91 | 9,761 | 0% | Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon |
| 92 | 9,673 | 5% | Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, Mile & Dash |
| 93 | 9,657 | 14% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – Philly |
| 94 | 9,647 | -3% | Quad City Times Bix |
| 95 | 9,636 | 8% | Crim Festival of Races |
| 96 | 9,598 | 10% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – San Diego |
| 97 | 9,518 | -8% | BMW Dallas Marathon |
| 98 | 9,461 | -18% | Air Force Marathon |
| 99 | 9,457 | 52% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – Atlanta |
| 100 | 9,456 | -8% | Long Beach Marathon and Half Marathon |
While the overall growth was about 2%, there were 20 races who grew at least 10%:
| 2019 Rank | 2019 Total | 2019 Growth | Name |
| 1 | 13,280 | 81% | Crazy Legs |
| 2 | 9,457 | 52% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – Atlanta |
| 3 | 18,091 | 34% | The Great Pumpkin Run |
| 4 | 11,081 | 30% | Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon |
| 5 | 18,852 | 27% | Cowtown Marathon |
| 6 | 11,273 | 26% | Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon & 1/2 Marathon |
| 7 | 17,056 | 24% | Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon |
| 8 | 13,914 | 19% | Austin Marathon & Half Marathon |
| 9 | 24,485 | 18% | St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville |
| 10 | 12,682 | 17% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – San Francisco |
| 11 | 10,497 | 16% | Hot Chocolate 15k/5k |
| 12 | 35,433 | 16% | Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas |
| 13 | 9,657 | 14% | Hot Chocolate 15K/5K – Philly |
| 14 | 13,789 | 14% | Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle |
| 15 | 24,659 | 12% | United Airlines NYC Half |
| 16 | 26,096 | 12% | Los Angeles Marathon |
| 17 | 60,752 | 11% | AJC Peachtree Road Race |
| 18 | 11,314 | 11% | Rocky Run |
| 19 | 23,539 | 11% | San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon |
| 20 | 19,965 | 10% | Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Half Marathon, and 8K |
Some random notes on the above:
- Cowtown had weather issues in 2018 so they bounced back in 2019
- We believe Hot Chocolate Atlanta had a weather issue in 2018
Consolidation
While there has been some industry consolidation over the past couple of years, with WTC acquiring Rock & Roll, and Gannet/New Media/Gatehouse/Rugged acquiring Hot Chocolate/RamRacing/Enmotive/imATHLETE, there is still fairly limited scale in the business.
Here are the top owners of races. None have reached even 1% market share in the US, proving it is difficult to scale. WTC grew the 12 Rock & Roll races by just over 10% by adding a 5K to their events. Gannett/Hot Chocolate grew by 13%.
| 2019 | # Races | # of Participants |
| WTC – Rock & Roll | 12 | 206,029 |
| New York Road Runners | 6 | 149,590 |
| Disney | 4 | 123,540 |
| Gannett/Hot Chocolate | 10 | 136,075 |
| Atlanta Track Club | 2 | 70,425 |
| Chicago Event Management | 2 | 66,633 |
| Philadelphia Parks & Rec | 2 | 60,294 |
| Motiv | 3 | 33,456 |
Registration Providers
The registration providers continues to evolve and change. RaceIt and Race Partner were top providers just a couple of years ago, and now are both out of business. The combination of GetMeRegistered and RaceWire seems to be running into difficulty with key leaders in each company departing Stack Sports. ChronoTrack has announced their partnership with RunSignup and the 5 races who use them have already started migrating with Pat’s Run open on RunSignup already. The combination of Enmotive and imATHLETE was announced recently, but they have not yet announced their plans for either migrating users to one platform or the other or creating a “best of” integration.
There is a fair mount of change that will happen on this list over the next 2 years as the old method of doing multi-year contracts expires and more races insist on non-exclusive agreements that RunSignup has made popular.
| Registration Provider | Number of organizations | Number of races | 2019 Finishers |
| Active | 6 | 19 | 322,830 |
| RunSignUp | 13 | 14 | 208,883 |
| RaceRoster | 11 | 12 | 183,920 |
| Haku | 6 | 10 | 278,721 |
| Enmotive | 3 | 10 | 143,624 |
| in-house | 2 | 7 | 184,717 |
| imAthlete | 4 | 5 | 89,959 |
| CTL | 4 | 5 | 127,368 |
| local | 4 | 4 | 84,861 |
| MarathonGuide | 4 | 4 | 92,560 |
| GetMeRegistered | 2 | 3 | 38,228 |
| RaceCentral | 2 | 2 | 28,337 |
| EventDog | 1 | 1 | 13,914 |
| Configio | 1 | 1 | 41,197 |
| SignMeUp | 1 | 1 | 12,616 |
| Blackbaud | 1 | 1 | 19,702 |
| events.com | 1 | 1 | 11,815 |
| Total | 66 | 100 | 1,883,252 |
Again, if you see any errors of omissions, please let us know.