RunSignup’s Annual RaceTrends Report found running race participation grew an average of 5 percent from 2024 to 2025, after growing 8 percent in 2024 and 11 percent in 2023.

Additionally, just 3 percent of 2024 races with over 500 participants did not take place in 2025, the lowest churn rate RunSignup has reported since it began tracking the metric in 2018.

Additional key takeaways include:

  • In November, the Turkey Trot month, the race growth rate was 10 percent, while the spring months of March, April and May had the slowest growth.
  • 24 percent of all registrations occurred during race week, largely consistent with previous years, while race-day registrations increased slightly to 3 percent of participants.
  • Most races are small, with 86 percent of race weekends hosting fewer than 500 participants. Less than 1 percent of events have more than 5,000 participants, and 13 percent of participants are in a large race (over 5,000).
  • Average prices continued to increase across all race distances, with marathon prices rising 5 percent. This follows multiple years of increases, with 10K prices having gone up 21 percent since 2019.
  • Young adult runners have returned to events, with 18-to-29-year-olds making up 18 percent of all participants, the highest participation rate for that age group since 2017.
  • Easy registration is key, with 63 percent of all transactions occurring on mobile devices and 42 percent of registrants opting to pay with a saved credit card or Apple Pay.
  • The RaceDay CheckIn app is widely used, with 51 percent of races using the app to check in 60 percent of participants. Races using the app ranged in size from less than 100 to more than 26,000.

CEO and Founder Bob Bickel said, “The 2025 data show a strong market, even as the post-COVID boom slows. What’s working? Family traditions like Turkey Trots, social participation through teams and referral programs, and real-time photos and tracking are driving better race experiences and creating a long-lasting endurance community. We are looking forward to seeing what 2026 brings.”

The data in RunSignup’s 2025 RaceTrends report includes over 97,000 race events and 12.2 million registrations.