Running industry statistics cover several different measures: race registrations, participants and finishers; broader walking and activity prevalence; injury incidence; training intensity; and health outcomes. The figures below are primarily U.S.-based, with periods and denominators stated so event-market data is not mistaken for a census of runners.
Key Running Industry Statistics
The most broadly useful figures are:
- In 2024, 10 U.S. races had more than 25,000 finishers.
- In the first half of 2024, average registrations per race increased 8% versus the same period in 2023 in RunSignup-covered U.S. endurance events.
- In the first half of 2024, marathon participation increased 26% versus 2023 in RunSignup-covered U.S. races.
- In the first half of 2024, half-marathon participation increased 15.5% versus 2023 in RunSignup-covered U.S. races.
- In 2024, the New York City Marathon had 56,859 participants.
- In 2024, the Chicago Marathon had 52,072 participants.
- In 2022, 58.7% of U.S. adults walked for leisure during the previous seven days.
- In 2022, 61.8% of U.S. adults aged 18–44 walked for leisure during the previous seven days.
- In 2022, 16.2% of U.S. adults walked for transportation during the previous seven days.
- Across 36 prospective studies through July 2020, 26.2% of 23,047 runners sustained a running-related injury.
- Through July 2020, competitive runners had a 62.6% running-related injury incidence in the included prospective studies.
- Through studies published by 2014, novice runners had 17.8 injuries per 1,000 running hours in a pooled estimate.
- Through studies published by 2014, recreational runners had 7.7 injuries per 1,000 running hours in a pooled estimate.
- Under the 2018 federal guidelines, 150–300 minutes of moderate activity per week is the adult aerobic target.
- Under the 2018 federal guidelines, vigorous activity begins at 6.0 METs.
- In an observational U.S. cohort followed through 2015, one hour of weekly aerobic activity was associated with a 0.85 all-cause mortality hazard ratio versus no aerobic activity.
- In the same cohort, three hours of weekly aerobic activity corresponded to a 0.73 all-cause mortality hazard ratio in the model.
Contents
- Running industry participation and race-market scale
- Running race statistics by distance and event
- Running and walking activity data across U.S. groups
- Running injury statistics by runner type
- Running intensity and training-dose statistics
- Running, aerobic activity and mortality outcomes
Running Industry Participation and Race-Market Scale
Running USA’s 2024 top-race report shows the scale of major U.S. events, but its coverage is event-based rather than a census of every race. The 25 largest races represented 15 states, and more than one-third of the top 100 races were half marathons. Running USA, 2024 Top Races Report
RunSignup’s first-half 2024 figures provide a platform-based view of the endurance-event market. RunSignup estimated that its data represented 40%–45% of the U.S. endurance-event market, so these numbers should not be treated as an independently audited market total.
| Measure | Period and geography | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Registrations per race | First half of 2024 vs. 2023, RunSignup-covered U.S. endurance events | +8% |
| Races with 1,000–5,000 participants | First half of 2024 vs. 2023, RunSignup-covered U.S. races | +9% |
| Races with more than 5,000 participants | First half of 2024 vs. 2023, RunSignup-covered U.S. races | +9% |
| Races over 500 participants not recurring | 2023 into 2024, RunSignup-covered races | 5.9% |
The same source reported that the average 10K race price in 2024 was 9% higher than in 2023 and 20% higher than in 2019. These are platform averages, not a consumer-price index. RunSignup’s 2024 Midyear Trends
Running Race Statistics by Distance and Event
Distance-specific participation increased across the RunSignup-covered U.S. races in the first half of 2024. The percentages are year-over-year participation changes, not shares of the entire running population.
| Race distance | First-half 2024 participation change vs. 2023 |
|---|---|
| 5K | +19% |
| 10K | +20% |
| Half marathon | +15.5% |
| Marathon | +26% |
Age composition also shifted within this platform sample. Participants aged 18–29 represented 16% of race participants in the first half of 2024, compared with 15% in 2023 and 18%–22% during 2015–2017; the measure counts race participation in the source series and is not necessarily unique-person participation. RunSignup’s 2024 Midyear Trends
Large individual events illustrate scale without representing total U.S. participation. In 2024, BOLDERBoulder recorded 41,491 finishers, up 18.3% from 2023; the New York City Marathon had 56,859 participants, the Chicago Marathon had 52,072, and the AJC Peachtree Road Race had 43,345. Running USA, BOLDERBoulder and 2024 Race Counts
Running and Walking Activity Data Across U.S. Groups
The CDC’s 2022 National Health Interview Survey measures whether civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. adults walked for leisure or transportation during the previous seven days. Leisure walking includes fun, relaxation, exercise or walking the dog, so it is useful movement context but is not a running-participation rate. CDC/NCHS, Walking and Transportation Activity Among Adults: United States, 2022
| Population group | Leisure walking | Transportation walking |
|---|---|---|
| All U.S. adults | 58.7% | 16.2% |
| Ages 18–44 | 61.8% | 20.9% |
| Ages 45–64 | 59.1% | — |
| Ages 65+ | 51.6% | 10.3% |
| Women / men | 60.5% / 56.9% | 15.0% / 17.3% |
Leisure walking prevalence was 63.8% among Asian non-Hispanic adults, 49.2% among Black non-Hispanic adults, 61.5% among White non-Hispanic adults and 53.5% among Hispanic adults. The survey’s race and Hispanic-origin categories and self-reported definitions should be retained when interpreting these comparisons.
Income and education were also associated with different reported activity levels. Leisure walking ranged from 46.9% below 100% of the federal poverty level to 67.2% at 400% or more of that level, and from 43.7% among adults without a high-school diploma or GED to 71.2% among adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
For transportation walking, prevalence ranged from 24.1% below 100% of the federal poverty level to 12.6% at 200%–399% of the level. It was 19.7% among adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher and 13.2% among adults with a high-school diploma or GED.
Running Injury Statistics by Runner Type
Injury figures vary substantially with case definitions, follow-up periods, runner categories and exposure denominators. A systematic review of 36 prospective studies through July 2020 found that 26.2% of 23,047 runners sustained a running-related injury.
| Runner group | Injury incidence in included prospective studies |
|---|---|
| Novice | 14.9%; study range 9.4%–94.9% |
| Recreational | 26.1%; study range 17.9%–79.3% |
| Competitive | 62.6%; study range 52.6%–91.3% |
The review also attributed 25.8% of running-related injuries to the knee, 24.4% to the foot and ankle, and 24.4% to the lower leg. Those are shares of injuries by body site across heterogeneous studies, not risks for an individual runner. PubMed, The Association Between Running Injuries and Training Parameters
A separate meta-analysis of studies published through 2014 used running hours as the denominator. Pooled incidence was 17.8 injuries per 1,000 running hours for novice runners, with a 95% confidence interval of 16.7–19.1, and 7.7 injuries per 1,000 hours for recreational runners, with a 95% confidence interval of 6.9–8.7.
Across included novice, recreational, ultra-marathon and track-and-field studies, reported incidence ranged from 2.5 to 33.0 injuries per 1,000 running hours. This is a range across different populations and definitions, not a pooled rate. PubMed, Incidence of Running-Related Injuries Per 1000 h
Trail-running studies through November 2020 reported an especially wide range: 1.6 to 4,285.0 injuries per 1,000 running hours and 65.0 to 6,676.6 illnesses per 1,000 hours. The review noted that much of the literature involved single-day races and that injury, illness and exposure definitions varied. PubMed, Epidemiology of Injury and Illness Among Trail Runners
Running Intensity and Training-Dose Statistics
The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans define moderate-intensity activity as 3.0–5.9 METs and vigorous-intensity activity as 6.0 or more METs. These are absolute-intensity definitions; the same pace can feel different depending on fitness and individual response.
| Federal guideline measure | Adult target or example |
|---|---|
| Moderate aerobic activity | 150–300 minutes per week |
| Vigorous aerobic activity | 75–150 minutes per week |
| Moderate-intensity range | 3.0–5.9 METs |
| Vigorous-intensity threshold | 6.0+ METs |
The guidelines state that 150–300 moderate minutes correspond to about 500–1,000 MET-minutes per week when calculated from the guideline intensity ranges. This is a derived guideline conversion, not an observed running total.
They also give running at approximately a 7.5-minute-per-mile pace or faster as an example requiring 13.4 METs or more, while noting that individual energy expenditure differs. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition
Running, Aerobic Activity and Mortality Outcomes
A national cohort study used NHIS data from 1997–2014 with mortality follow-up through 2015. Its findings concern associations between reported aerobic or muscle-strengthening activity and mortality, not proof that running or a particular dose caused a reduction.
One hour per week of aerobic activity was associated with a 0.85 hazard ratio for all-cause mortality compared with no aerobic activity. At three hours per week, the modeled hazard ratio leveled at 0.73; the leveling is a model-based observational estimate.
Muscle-strengthening activity showed a separate pattern in the same study. One session per week was associated with a 0.89 all-cause mortality hazard ratio, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.81–0.97, while seven sessions per week had a reported hazard ratio of 0.99.
These results describe a U.S. adult cohort and adjusted observational relationships, not a running-specific intervention trial or a prescription for training frequency. PMC, Dose-response association of aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity with mortality