The Data:
Understanding the market can be challenging without a single aggregator for mass participation industry data. To evaluate the industry and identify trends in this mid-year update. We have reviewed internal RaceNation // SportsGiving platform data, summarised information from sources such as The 2024 Mass Participation World Athletics Webinar, via exclusive partnerships with the Running Industry Alliance, Massive, The National Running Show, Klarna and Racecheck; and other publicly available reports. Although certain aspects of our technology and business model may influence some results, this dataset is reliable – representing a significant portion of the mass participation market.
1. Picking Up Pace: Growth in the Running Industry
Analysis of RaceNation platform statistics across thousands of events reveals significant growth across middle-distance running events (such as 5km). These findings are strongly supported by the Running Industry Alliance and England Athletics’ “National Running Report” which surveyed 80,000 participants. 25% year-to-date growth in 5km participation was reported at the Mass Participation World 2024 Athletics Webinar.
Reflecting on over 10 years worth of RaceNation data, growth within middle-distance events is usually indicative of future growth in longer distances. The Great North Run saw its highest number of ballot entries in its 43-year history and the TCS London Marathon reported 840,000 registrations for their 2025 event ballot. Beyond these distances, RaceNation platform data reports significant growth within long-distance trail and ultramarathon events. Backyard Ultra in particular has grown in popularity even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite attracting niche entry numbers, their relatively low logistical costs and higher-than-average ticket prices are proving to generate good ROI for organisers who can command the right audience.
Growth in long-distance running presents an interesting shift in running motivation. While there is competitiveness at the sharp end of ultra-distance racing, the research tends to indicate that long-distance runners are more motivated by personal accomplishment than their finishing positions. Interestingly, the National Running Report concluded that only 20% of those surveyed reported their motivation for participation in running was for the competition. This presents interesting considerations for event organisers concerning medals, results tables, prize money and other logistics typically associated with “running races”.
Understanding how much goes into preparing for long-distance events, and acknowledging the continued growth in this space, the impact this growth has on our industry is evident through the development pipeline at RaceNation and leading technology companies operating within the space. Throughout the last 10 years, registration technology has evolved well beyond online entry and fundraising to include integrations that provide participants with more support on behalf of the organiser – such as coaching apps, accommodation options, easy payment options like Klarna to help manage higher ticket costs.
2. Running Towards Diverse Start Lines: New Demographics Hit Their Stride
Historically, the industry has been concerned about its ability to attract the younger generations. The National Running Report suggests that more health-conscious generations ( 16-25) are finally entering mass participation events. This latest influx has been widely attributed to free/social running clubs, mobile-first content, and improving Instagram ads. Whilst it’s encouraging that youth participation is increasing, they still account for a minority share of the market. Those looking to address this imbalance could consider activations with social running clubs and local micro-influeners. To win business, event organisers must also look to provide a mobile-friendly entry experience – removing unnecessary barriers to entry such as log-in walls.
Whilst female participation in running is on the rise, a recent study concluded that 86% of those who don’t run due to safety concerns identify as female. RaceNation // SportsGiving is proud to work with SheRaces to actively drive female participation. Examples of how we work with SheRaces // drive female participation includes but are not limited to: technical advancements in live location sharing functionality, using checkpoint management functionality to analyse the need for extending cut-offs, managing fair deferral policies with participant self-service, etc. Our partnership with Runr clothing enables organisers to offer female fit t-shirts and other merchandise on autopilot, with fulfilment managed by Runr.
3. Ticket Prices / Entry Fees: Racing to New Heights
Analysis from RaceNation // SportsGiving platform data concludes that the average ticket price rose by 11.8% from 2023 to 2024 (YTD). With inflation and rising delivery costs having forced some entry prices higher, increased ticket costs have not deterred entrants; registrations across the platform have increased by 20% from H1 2023 to H1 2024. Thousands more participants registering for events via our platform is a strong indicator of not only a return to pre-pandemic participation but significant and measurable growth. This growth is supported by Massive’s latest report “The Massive Top 25” which also cites 16% growth for in-person events, and over 70% of the charity event organisers sampled expecting to see numbers increase again next year.
RaceNation // SportsGiving’s Head of Marketing, Hollie Light, explains how Event Organisers can use pricing strategies to drive conversions:
To incentivise early entry, consider removing the risk associated with binding ticket prices to specific dates. Frustrating for entrants to try and time their purchases around events like Black Friday to get the best deal, those looking to get the best value should be incentivised to enter as early as possible. Reward these customers with exclusive early access sign-up via SMS/email data capture, followed by standard pricing tiers such as early, general and late pricing. Using the number of available tickets to create upfront pricing tiers (e.g., “400 tickets left at X price”) is a less risky strategy for organisers than time-bound strategies – and allows for extensions if needed. With a limited number of early-rate tickets available, entrants won’t want to risk missing out and won’t have the luxury of waiting until the last day to purchase tickets. In essence, this strategy enables entrants to act on their intended purchasing decision. If you’re looking to add time-bound offers into your pricing strategy to align with expenses and cash flow, consider using limited-time discounts to the value of 15% or higher.
Essentially, higher traffic and a higher conversion rate will lead to increased ticket sales.
Organisers should expect peak traffic to their website on event day, and each day either side. Supported by technology that is designed to convert entries, RaceNation recommends organisers have entry open day for the preceding year’s event the day before, or at the very least use waiting list functionality to capture hot leads with “exclusive early access.” RaceNation’s VIP Support Team are on hand to help organisers get events set up.
4. Capitalising on Industry Growth: The Most Effective Strategy for Selling Experiences
RaceNation // SportsGiving’s Head of Marketing, Hollie Light, explains how Event Organiers can capitalise on the aforementioned industry growth:
For the upcoming quarters Q3 – Q4, organisers should focus their marketing efforts on outreach and growing their funnels through referrals and digital marketing (social media, email, SMS etc).
Word-of-mouth (peer-to-peer) marketing remains one of the most influential factors on purchasing behaviour in our industry. According to Racecheck, the world’s leading review and reputation management platform for mass participation sports events, showcasing authentic reviews boosts event entries by leveraging the principles of social proof and consensus.
Reflective of the growth of the running industry, The National Running Show saw their largest attendance to date – 30,000 visitors – at the 2024 show in January. RaceNation // SportsGiving, The National Running Show and Massive are all predicting further growth in 2025.
RaceNation-subsidised exhibition space at The National Running Show within “The Events Village” has proven to bring valuable return on investment for organisers exhibiting at the show, with 7 / 8 pods secured for 2025 by returning pod holders. Thanks to RaceNation’s partnership with The National Running Show, all organisers can benefit from free promotion at the show by listing their events on an interactive map within the events village.
Having now considered the ‘awareness’ end of their funnel, organisers should then look to address the ‘decision’ end of their funnel and create opportunities to convert participants in volume. Organisers can increase ROI by incentivising team entries that meet specific thresholds or parameters. Success in this area depends largely on the capabilities of the event management platform. Organisers need a platform that allows limitless customization, including flexible ticket types, custom discount codes, and a variety of high-converting payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna. The platform should eliminate ‘marketing guesswork’ by easily identifying the sources of the most valuable leads and conversions, enabling strategic allocation of the marketing budget.
Hollie Light concludes:
“The mass participation industry has reached a pivotal moment of growth and enthusiasm post-pandemic. By leveraging comprehensive data from multiple sources and understanding evolving market dynamics, the industry is well-positioned to continue thriving. Now is the opportune time for organisers to harness this momentum by offering engaging experiences that foster repeat participation and lay a strong foundation for the future.
Supporting organisers through this growth phase are companies like RaceNation // SportsGiving who remain responsive, agile and innovative in building automated solutions to meet the future needs, wants, and demands of this evolving industry.”
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About RaceNation // SportsGiving
RaceNation // SportsGiving is the leading all-in-one event management and fundraising solution for mass participation events and nonprofits.
Thousands of events use our free platform to register hundreds of thousands of participants annually, raise millions for Charity and grow their events.
Our expertly designed, fully integrated solution powers event revenue generation and participant engagement through flexible registration, integrated fundraising, and a suite of RaceDay tools. No subscriptions, no plans, no monthly fees.
To find out why thousands of customers like the Ealing Half Marathon, Jersey Island Walk, Muscular Dystrophy Town & Gown 10k, Titan Brecon Triathlons and more use RaceNation, visit: race-nation.com
