Athletic race results database Athlinks recently surveyed a sampling of over 400,000 athletes based in the U.S. to identify post-pandemic habits and to gain a better understanding of why so many have not returned to racing.
The survey results showed several reasons for lackluster event participation in 2022, ranging from athlete safety concerns to being temporarily out of shape. The organization, however, reported that it seems to be reaching a turning point. Over 45 percent of respondents who have not returned to racing post-pandemic said they were either registered or plan to register for their first race within the next 12 months. Athletes also indicated that social running remained relevant and that networks of friends and family were the most likely source of finding their next race.
Athlinks Product Manager Nick Wiegand said, “We’re planning to see event numbers close to that of 2019 once again, and we can’t wait. People are just ready to race.”
A further indicator of this pattern came on Thanksgiving, the biggest day in the U.S. annually for racing. Mike Milici, president of Athlinks’ sister company ChronoTrack, said, “on Thanksgiving 2022, our platforms saw the strongest overall racing volume since pre-pandemic.”
ChronoTrack offers timing, scoring, registration, and results solutions to some of the largest worldwide events, including the New York Marathon.
To read the full survey results, go here.
Photo courtesy New York City Marathon
