6 Race Trends Transforming the Global Endurance Industry

The last decade has seen massive shifts in the global racing industry. After a staggering 300% growth in popularity in the U.S. over the past 25 years, the industry’s growth has slowed. So how can you continue to grow your race?

To find out, we spoke to eight prominent running, cycling, and obstacle course experts from around the globe. We explored how the race trends in Australia, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and the U.S. are unique — and where they overlap.

Download this free guide to learn the global race trends you can use to attract new and repeat participants. You’ll find out strategies to:

• Highlight the quality of your race with an engaging brand story
• Find a “wow” factor to build a community around your race
• Attract new types of participants with different marketing strategies

PREVIEW

To attract participants in this new market, race organizers need to know and innovate on the top industry trends. We interviewed eight prominent running industry experts from around the globe to find out which trends you need to know.

Read on for their top six insights on the state and future of the industry. You’ll learn to use these rising trends to stay competitive and, ultimately, sell more registrations.

Trend 1: New types of participants are joining the race community 

Growing participation has resulted in new and different audiences for race events. It’s vital to understand these participants’ needs — and the demands and opportunities that come with them.

“There has been a large increase in participation, especially in running, because of the interest in maintaining health through activity,” says Mariano Álvarez, the Director at TMX Team in Argentina. He organizes road and trail running races including the Mizuno Half Marathon in Buenos Aires.

“There are more people looking for a shared experience, and it’s necessary to provide a physical, mental, and sensory experience,” Álvarez says. Providing a unique experience doesn’t just appeal to existing participants — it can also spark the interest of entirely new audiences.

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Trend 2: The quality of your race is more important than ever

In an increasingly competitive market, events that are unique and well-organized will cut through the noise and create lasting and thriving brands.

“Our main challenge is running existing events without losing the quality, while always thinking up new events,” says Joao Traven, Managing Partner of Spiridon Promotions & Events in Brazil. He’s the expert behind multiple running events including the Rio de Janeiro Marathon.

“The number of organizers has increased significantly; many of them are new and have little experience,” Traven says. “Some put on good events, others less so.”

This gap in quality creates an opportunity to make your race stand out. Try marketing tactics that prove that your race is legitimate. For example, Penny Matkin-Hussey, the Events Director at Cycling Australia, proved the quality of their event by choosing well-known, trusted partners. Their event, The Cadel Evans Road Race, is a high-profile cycling event supported by the Government of Victoria.

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