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Writer's picturemilesandmacros

The downward slope of race participation: A result of over-saturation

It seems the pandemic speed bump has smoothed out, and many runners have returned to racing. Race participation increased by 10% between 2022 and 2023. So why have race directors all over the states raised concerns that participation is down?


Runners often like to run for a cause. When a charity benefits from the race, people who hold that charity’s cause near and dear to their hearts sign up to run. It is truly a beautiful thing to see people go through physical demands to help raise awareness. But wait, imagine every charity in the area thinking their best chance at a fundraiser is to host a local road 5k - Right, because how hard is it to put on a race?


Truthfully, road races are much more difficult to organize than people realize. There are permits, road closures, payment for police presence, signage, swag, and more! More importantly, there is a larger cultural landscape we must consider when organizing a race. Before you set your race date, think about if there are other charity races scheduled for the same day that might impact your race. Can the market bear another 5k race? How many races or charitable causes are too many? Remember, 5ks are not just held as charity fundraisers. Many 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, and marathons are held by local businesses wanting to put on a race for their community.


Many local road races are trending downward in their participation numbers. This is a shame, given how it impacts the events themselves. Fewer people equals less revenue for these nonprofits and local businesses, some of whom lean heavily on these events to fund programs or cover general operating expenses.


So where do we go from here? You may have guessed it…trail running. Trail running has indeed experienced a boom lately. To us, trail running is exactly the kind of race atmosphere we live for. This is where you can be with nature, experience local trail systems, and escape the calendar conflicts of the road racing scene. While all of this is true, with so many races to choose from for runners, it still can impact trail race attendance.

Trying to figure out how to fix these issues is a much bigger and more complex battle than one small business can handle. However, we feel it is important to share our race-directing knowledge with the public so participants and race-directors can make informed decisions about their races.


Here are some things that we do to make sure our races stand out, provide local economic growth, and do not conflict:


BE AWARE


1. We check the online race calendars to see if any major marathons (within a two-hour drive) are on the same weekend.

a. Major marathons will reduce your race participation unless your race is a distance where a runner could use it as a sharpener or long run.

2. We check to be sure there is not another trail run on the same day as ours.

a. We do not foresee a conflict between a 5k charity run/walk and a 10-mile trail race. These two forms of running do not usually cross over.


CHOOSE YOUR TERRAIN WISELY


1. We have stuck to the trails for our races.

2. While it is still costly to pay for permits on our trail systems, we can lower costs as much as possible by not having to pay for police presence, road closures, and staging areas. Races were 11% higher in 2023 than in 2019.


DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE


1. We scout out our course to ensure it is not mimicking the same course another race is putting on. We want to keep our races unique with new surroundings and a challenge that runners have yet to experience at another race.


QUALITY EVENTS AND QUALITY COMMUNICATION


1. Keep a few staple, annual races.

2. We have held 2 races annually and have tried to pour everything into them to see if they could grow.

a. Each year, we examine where we can improve and what we can do to make the race-day experience fun and unique for our runners.

3. We have chosen to hold only a select few races a year to preserve the quality of our races and not harm other local race directors. There is no need for us to hold 10 races a year.

4. We host one race that partners with the Onondaga East Chamber (“OEC”), a not-for-profit organization with the mission to help serve its local business community. We invite any business member of OEC to promote themselves in our race.

5. We host our third race with Clear Path for Veterans, utilizing their campus for the race. All the proceeds are donated to the charity.

6. We communicate with other trail race directors about event scheduling. Most race directors work with one another to grow and promote each other’s races. We want everyone to succeed. Sometimes, we overlap, but it is not something any of us do maliciously.

We are sharing these insights so the public can get a better understanding of pricing, logistics, donations, and where to support.


STATS TO MAKE YOU THINK & WHAT YOU (participant or race director) CAN DO TO CHANGE THINGS


1. Studies have shown that since 2022 only 16% of participants return to a race for a second time.

a. Keep your race unique. Try not to hold your race event at the same parkway, towpath, or road as other races.

b. Offer prizes to more than just the top females and males.

c. Bring back prize money.

d. Remember the middle-of-the-pack and back-of-the-pack.

e. Find unique awards.

2. Women race more than men. Females still make up the majority of participants, but the gap is narrowing. (53% of participants identifying as female).

a. Get your spouses, significant others, and friends involved!

b. Cater to your audience and listen to what they want.

3. Teams are consistently beloved. 31% of participants join a group/team when it’s offered.

a. The first rule about running is…you talk about running. So open up your races to team sign-ups!

b. Make team awards or bragging rights!

c. Announce who had the biggest team at your race and thank them!

d. Participants – get your teams together and make it a fun group run!

4. Procrastination is steady. (25% of all registrations came on race week).

a. This one hit hard. As a small business, if you wait until race week, it hurts us. We have to order the swag far in advance of the race. When we have to guess the number of people attending, our revenue is drained. Remember, we have to buy in bulk and have a minimum to order.

b. Leftover swag is never easy to sell.

c. A shortage of swag can get your race in a lot of trouble with participants.

5. RaceDay CheckIn gains popularity (33%-39% of participants).

a. Race directors, your time is money. We have noticed that no one comes to packet pick-up the days before a race. Race-day packet pick-up is where everyone grabs their bibs. Think about saving yourself precious time and sticking to race-day pick-up.

b. Runners, if you are using race-day packet pick-up please be on time. You cannot be guaranteed that a volunteer or race director can wait for you to arrive. There is a race to be put on!


In summary, we honestly are not sure where racing will go once the post-pandemic economy starts to revive again. But one thing we can say is that running itself is as popular as ever. We do not believe that lower participant numbers in races mean interest in the sport is waning. Rather, like any industry, the local racing scene is experiencing growing pains, which means I foresee change in the future with such events.




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