Event Information
WHEN
ON DEMAND
The results from the 2025 RaceTrends report are in. Join us for this on-demand review of the report’s key results, from overall race growth to demographic trends and pricing shifts. We review all the numbers from 2025, discuss expectations heading into 2026, and make recommendations as you plan your year in events.
This webinar covers:
- The numbers: growth and trends in the endurance industry in 2025
- Shifts in event types and participant demographics
- Patterns in participant registration
- The success of promotional strategies
- Trends in event fundraising
- Race Day technology and the timing industry
Summary of Webinar
Overview
This annual webinar reviews the State of the Endurance Industry using RunSignup’s 2025 RaceTrends data, giving race organizers, timers, and partners a data-driven look at participation, pricing, marketing, technology adoption, and race-day operations. The insights are based on RunSignup platform data (representing roughly 50% of the endurance market) and are intended to help events plan more strategically for the coming year. While the data reflects RunSignup activity specifically, it captures broad, meaningful trends across the endurance space.
Data window: December 2024 – November 2025 (not a strict calendar year), allowing results to be shared early enough to inform planning.
What This Webinar Covers
Industry growth & participation trends
Average per-race growth of ~5% in 2025, signaling continued expansion beyond post-COVID recovery
Growth has slowed compared to 2023–2024 but remains healthy and above pre-COVID levels
Month-by-month participation trends, with November standing out due to continued growth of Turkey Trots
Race size dynamics
Smaller, local races continue to grow faster than mid-sized events
The largest races (9,000+ participants) outperformed the market, averaging 6.5% growth
33 races exceeded 20,000 participants in 2025, with several new additions to the list
Race retention & market stability
Repeat participation remains challenging, reinforcing the importance of loyalty strategies
Race churn is historically low:
~0.9% left for competitors
~3.1% did not recur year-over-year
Indicates a stable, competitive, and sustainable market heading into 2026
Seasonality & race distribution
Most races occur in spring and fall, aligning with participant demand
Comparing race counts vs. registrant volume highlights potential gaps where new events could succeed
Participant demographics & behavior
Gender & age trends
Women remain the majority of participants (~53%)
Participation among 18–29 year olds rebounded strongly (best since 2017–2018)
Slight increases seen among 60+ participants, suggesting longer engagement in the sport
Race size reality
86% of race weekends host fewer than 500 participants
Most endurance events are small, community-focused races, not mega-events
Registration timing patterns
Fewer runners are registering during race week; more are committing earlier
Registration behavior varies widely by distance:
Marathoners register far earlier
5K runners register much closer to race day
Pricing strategies and timing of increases can be aligned with these patterns
Pricing, revenue & incentives
Entry fee trends
Prices increased across all distances, driven by inflation, permitting costs, and post-COVID normalization
Compared to 2019, most distances show double-digit price growth
Races are encouraged to explore alternative revenue streams beyond entry fees
Price increases as a tool
Most races still use fewer price increases than expected
Well-timed increases motivate action, but too many can dilute urgency
Recommended range: 2–4 price increases, depending on race length and cycle
Donations & fundraising
Small donations dominate by volume, while large donations drive a significant share of total dollars
Offering clear, meaningful donation levels increases impact
Peer-to-peer fundraising generates substantially more revenue but requires staff support
Marketing & engagement tools
Mobile & payments
~75% of website views occur on mobile devices
~63% of registrations happen on phones
Apple Pay and saved cards now account for ~42% of payments, emphasizing ease of checkout
Email, referrals & teams
Email remains a major driver, influencing ~12% of registration revenue (last-touch only)
Referral Rewards and Teams continue to be effective for social growth and engagement
Teams enhance both marketing reach and race-day experience
Website traffic sources
Organic search (29%) and referrals (25%) are top drivers
AI-driven traffic is still minimal (~0.1%) but growing rapidly
SEO best practices also support visibility in AI-powered search results
Race-day technology trends
Race Day Registration: ~3% of participants register on race day, making streamlined on-site workflows essential
RaceDay Check-In App: Used by over 60% of runners, across races of all sizes
Results notifications: Still underutilized but help smaller races feel more professional
RaceJoy: Expanded tracking via timing points increased adoption and spectator engagement
RaceDay Photos: Mobile photo capture boosts volume and participant sharing
Timer insights (from included survey highlights)
Timers are typically small, owner-operated businesses
Most offer services beyond timing, including registration setup and race-day operations
Timers can be valuable strategic partners for race growth and efficiency
Key takeaways
The endurance industry is stable, growing, and increasingly data-driven
Smaller community races remain the backbone of the market
Early registration trends, mobile behavior, and pricing strategies matter more than ever
Technology adoption continues to level the playing field for races of all sizes
This RaceTrends Review provides actionable benchmarks to help events plan smarter, price strategically, and deliver better participant experiences in 2026 and beyond.