Event Information
WHEN
ON DEMAND
The results from the 2024 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 2024 along with related expectations and recommendations as we dive into 2025.
This webinar covers:
- The state of participation in endurance events
- 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
View Top 100 Largest Races Report
Summary of Webinar
Overview
The 2024 State of the Industry: RaceTrends Review offers an in-depth look at data across 10.8 million registrations and 85,000 endurance events hosted on RunSignup. The session explores overall industry health, participation trends, registration behavior, marketing performance, and race day technology adoption.
With year-over-year growth returning across most event types, 2024 marked a strong rebound for the endurance community—surpassing pre-pandemic baselines for the first time. Johanna Goode breaks down what this growth means for race organizers, where opportunities remain (especially among younger runners and large events), and how to strategically adapt your pricing, marketing, and technology for 2025 success.
The State of the Industry
Steady Growth and Recovery:
The endurance market grew 8% year-over-year, the strongest increase since before the pandemic.
Compared to 2019, participation is back to baseline, signaling true growth rather than simple recovery.
Growth occurred across nearly all distances, with marathons slightly slower to rebound due to travel costs and logistical complexity.
Large Event Trends:
Races over 5,000 participants continue to recover more slowly than smaller community events.
Among the Top 100 largest U.S. races, participation grew by 11% but still trails 2019 levels by about 1%.
The race churn rate dropped to just 3.9%, the lowest since 2018—indicating stronger stability and fewer event cancellations.
Seasonality and Timing:
Participation peaked in November (Turkey Trots) and September–October, showing endurance enthusiasm during cooler months.
Spring events (April–May) also saw consistent participation, suggesting growth opportunities in these months for new races.
Participant Demographics and Behavior
Gender:
53% of participants identified as female, a slight narrowing of the historical gender gap.
More races are omitting gender fields entirely, particularly non-timed and fun-run events.
Age:
The 18–29 age group ticked up slightly to 16% of total participation after several years of decline.
Kids’ and family events showed high participation, reinforcing the value of youth engagement and family pricing options.
Race Size:
87% of races hosted fewer than 500 participants.
Smaller community events continue to define the industry, making scalable technology and simplified operations key to success.
Repeat Participation:
About 17% of 2023 participants returned for the same event in 2024.
Directors are encouraged to use RunSignup’s Repeat Participant Report under the “Promotion” tab to identify loyal runners and improve retention outreach.
Registration and Pricing Trends
Registration Timing:
Procrastination remains consistent—around 24% of registrations happen during race week.
Marathon runners register early (53% three+ months out), while 5K runners wait longer (62% within the final month).
Races should plan price increases and marketing pushes around these behavioral patterns.
Pricing and Value:
Entry fees rose 4–5% across all distances, matching general inflation.
Participants remain willing to pay modestly higher fees when value and experience are clear.
Despite this, most races still offer only one or two price increases—leaving opportunities to drive urgency and early sign-ups.
Processing Fees and Payments:
94% of races pass processing fees to participants—a long-standing norm that remains widely accepted.
Growing fee transparency laws may encourage “all-in pricing” (inclusive fees) in some states.
61% of all transactions occur on mobile devices; 35% use saved credit cards or Apple Pay, underscoring the importance of mobile-friendly design and simplified registration.
Marketing and Engagement Insights
Coupons and Discounts:
Average discount value: $12.74.
Coupons should be used strategically—avoid discounting too close to race day or undercutting early-bird registrants.
Referral Rewards:
When enabled, 6–7% of registrations stem from referral links.
Effective only when promoted—races that actively communicate and remind participants see the best ROI.
Groups and Teams:
30% of participants join a team when the option is available.
Social teams (vs. competitive teams) are key for engagement, repeat participation, and word-of-mouth growth.
Website and Email Trends:
74% of website visits come from mobile; design and registration paths must prioritize mobile responsiveness.
Email marketing remains the most powerful free promotional tool—12% of all registration dollars originated from a RunSignup email.
Many races see 20%+ of registrations driven by effective email outreach, emphasizing consistent communication.
Traffic Sources:
25% of site traffic comes from organic Google searches, followed by direct (email-driven) traffic.
Local race calendars and partner websites like Running in the USA and HalfMarathons.net remain important traffic drivers.
Donations and Fundraising
Giving Trends:
Small donations dominate: 63% are under $25, yet collectively make up 16% of total donation revenue.
High-value gifts ($150+) account for 29% of donation dollars—so offer a wide range of giving levels.
Adding clear impact statements (e.g., “$10 = 3 meals for a family”) strengthens emotional connection and donation rates.
Donation Features:
Checkout Donations: Adding a checkbox prompt at checkout increases giving significantly—an easy, high-return enhancement.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Delivers the highest total dollars but requires dedicated communication and incentive support.
Race Day and Technology Adoption
Race-Day Registration:
2.6% of registrations occur on race day.
QR codes and on-site mobile registration are replacing paper signups, offering convenience for last-minute participants.
CheckIn App Usage:
Used by 43% of races—representing half of all participants on the platform.
Works seamlessly for races of all sizes, from small 200-runner events to large 28,000-participant weekends.
RaceJoy and Tracking:
16% of races sent live notifications or used tracking tools in 2024.
RaceJoy’s expanded integration with RaceDay Scoring now supports more accurate participant tracking and spectator engagement.
Timers and Race Services:
81% of timers offer services beyond timing—such as registration setup, course certification, and race management support.
Most timers own their own businesses and are highly invested in event success, making them vital partners for race directors.
Key Takeaways
The endurance industry is thriving again, with meaningful growth across most event types and demographics.
Smaller, community-driven events dominate—but they can still offer big-race experiences through modern technology.
Mobile-first design and payments are non-negotiable as the majority of participants register on phones.
Early price tiers, referral programs, and strong email marketing remain top-performing engagement strategies.
Timers and tech tools (like the CheckIn app and RaceJoy) continue to elevate participant experience and efficiency.