These marathon figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.
Key Marathon Statistics
The main findings are:
- US marathon and half-marathon races recorded 29,311,597 finishers from 2010 through 2023 (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races).
- In the US 2010-2023 combined cohort, 13,046,223 finishers were male, or 44.5% (United States marathon and half-marathon races).
- The 2024 New York men’s open winner finished in 2:07:39 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon men’s open division).
- There were 176 cardiac arrests among 29,311,597 US marathon and half-marathon finishers from 2010-2023.
- Among 907 New York City Marathon runners in a peer-reviewed cohort, 128, or 14.1%, reported an injury affecting finish time or requiring post-race medical care (Study cohort around New York City Marathon; New York City Marathon study cohort).
- The 2024 Boston Marathon had 25,640 finishers (April 15, 2024).
- Full marathons accounted for 6,806,683 US finishers, or 23.2% of the 2010-2023 combined cohort.
- In the same cohort, 15,871,153 finishers were female, or 54.2% (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races).
- The 2024 New York women’s open winner finished in 2:24:35 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon women’s open division).
- Cardiac-arrest incidence was 0.60 per 100,000 participants in 2010-2023 (United States marathon and half-marathon races).
- The Boston Marathon’s 2024 official charity program involved 168 nonprofits (Boston Marathon Official Charity Program).
- Half-marathons accounted for 22,504,063 US finishers, or 76.8% of the 2010-2023 combined cohort.
- In the same cohort, 394,221 finishers were nonbinary, or 1.3% (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races).
- The 2024 New York men’s wheelchair winner finished in 1:36:31 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon men’s wheelchair division).
- There were 59 deaths after race-associated cardiac arrests, equal to 0.20 deaths per 100,000 participants (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races).
Contents
- Key Marathon Statistics
- Marathon participation statistics and record-setting race fields
- Marathon demographics, countries and inclusion data
- Marathon performance statistics from winners and divisions
- Marathon cardiac arrest and mortality statistics
- Marathon injury and medical-outcome statistics
- Marathon fundraising, volunteering and economic-impact statistics
Marathon participation statistics and record-setting race fields
- US marathon and half-marathon races recorded 29,311,597 finishers from 2010 through 2023 (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Full marathons accounted for 6,806,683 US finishers, or 23.2% of the 2010-2023 combined cohort. (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Half-marathons accounted for 22,504,063 US finishers, or 76.8% of the 2010-2023 combined cohort. (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- The 2024 New York City Marathon had 56,012 starters and 55,646 finishers (November 3, 2024). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 New York City Marathon finishers included 30,795 men, 24,731 women and 120 non-binary runners (November 3, 2024). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 New York City Marathon had 17,859 international finishers (November 3, 2024). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 New York City Marathon represented 137 countries (November 3, 2024). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- Running USA reported that 10 US races had more than 25,000 finishers in 2024 (United States running events). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 25 largest US races in 2024 represented 15 states (United States running events). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- World Athletics reported 248 road-running events in 57 countries in 2023 (World Athletics road running). (World Athletics Annual Report and…)
- Those 2023 World Athletics road events involved more than 11,000 athletes (World Athletics road running). (World Athletics Annual Report and…)
Combined distance population; not full-marathon-only.
Denominator includes half-marathon finishers.
Not a full-marathon participation measure.
Results were subject to final scoring verification at publication.
Categories follow race registration data.
International status is race registration information.
Country representation is event-specific.
Running USA’s report covers races broadly, not only marathons.
All race distances are included in this Running USA summary.
Road-running program is broader than full marathons.
Athlete count is for the road-running program, not only marathon distance.
Marathon demographics, countries and inclusion data
- In the US 2010-2023 combined cohort, 13,046,223 finishers were male, or 44.5% (United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- In the same cohort, 15,871,153 finishers were female, or 54.2% (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- In the same cohort, 394,221 finishers were nonbinary, or 1.3% (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- The 2024 New York City Marathon was completed by runners from all 50 US states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Guam (November 3, 2024). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The oldest 2024 New York male finisher was 88 years old (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The oldest 2024 New York female finisher was 82 years old (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The oldest 2024 New York non-binary finisher was 60 years old (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 Boston Marathon had 50 US states and 118 countries represented among its finishers (April 15, 2024). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- Boston’s 2024 finishers included 14,637 men, 10,955 women and 48 non-binary runners (April 15, 2024; Boston Marathon). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston Marathon reported 17 champions in its event history represented in the official charity-program summary (2024 report). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
Combined marathon and half-marathon cohort.
Reported sex/gender field and combined distances.
This is geographic representation, not a population participation rate.
Single oldest-finisher observation.
Event representation, not population-level nationality prevalence.
Official event categories and finishers.
Historical event summary, not 17 winners in 2024.
Marathon performance statistics from winners and divisions
- The 2024 New York men’s open winner finished in 2:07:39 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon men’s open division). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 New York women’s open winner finished in 2:24:35 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon women’s open division). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 New York men’s wheelchair winner finished in 1:36:31 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon men’s wheelchair division). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 New York women’s wheelchair winner finished in 1:48:05 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon women’s wheelchair division). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 New York non-binary division winner finished in 2:31:29 (November 3, 2024; New York City Marathon non-binary division). (2024 TCS New York City…)
- The 2024 Boston men’s champion finished in 2:06:17 (April 15, 2024; Boston Marathon men’s open division). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston women’s champion finished in 2:22:37 (April 15, 2024; Boston Marathon women’s open division). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston men’s wheelchair champion finished in 1:15:20 (April 15, 2024; Boston Marathon men’s wheelchair division). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston women’s wheelchair champion finished in 1:35:11 (April 15, 2024; Boston Marathon women’s wheelchair division). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston non-binary winner finished in 2:27:51 (April 15, 2024; Boston Marathon non-binary division). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
Winner time, not average participant performance.
Winner time in a separate division.
Winner time on Boston’s course; not directly comparable to every course.
Winner time on Boston’s course.
Division winner time.
Marathon cardiac arrest and mortality statistics
- There were 176 cardiac arrests among 29,311,597 US marathon and half-marathon finishers from 2010-2023. (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Cardiac-arrest incidence was 0.60 per 100,000 participants in 2010-2023 (United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- There were 59 deaths after race-associated cardiac arrests, equal to 0.20 deaths per 100,000 participants (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- The 2010-2023 cardiac-arrest case-fatality rate was 34% (United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Cardiac-arrest incidence was 0.54 per 100,000 in 2010-2014 and 0.58 per 100,000 in 2015-2019 (2010-2014 and 2015-2019; United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Cardiac-arrest incidence rose to 0.81 per 100,000 in 2020-2023 (United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Case fatality was 48% in 2010-2014 versus 25% in 2015-2023 (2010-2014 and 2015-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Men had cardiac-arrest incidence of 1.12 per 100,000, compared with 0.19 per 100,000 for women (2010-2023; United States marathon and half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Cardiac-arrest incidence was 1.04 per 100,000 in full marathons and 0.47 per 100,000 in half-marathons (2010-2023; United States marathon versus half-marathon races). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
- Among cases with known etiology, coronary artery disease accounted for 27 of 67 cases, or 40% (2010-2023; Identified US race-associated cardiac arrests). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
Race-associated arrests identified through registry methods.
Incidence estimate with 95% CI 0.52-0.70.
Death outcome follows identified cardiac arrest cases.
Case-fatality denominator is the 176 identified arrests.
Study-period estimates with confidence intervals.
Shorter pandemic and post-pandemic interval.
Grouped periods have different event counts and conditions.
Sex missing for 30 cases; sensitivity analyses were performed.
Distance missing for 10 cases; study used sensitivity analyses.
Etiology was available for only 67 of 128 identified runners.
Marathon injury and medical-outcome statistics
Among 907 New York City Marathon runners in a peer-reviewed cohort, 128, or 14.1%, reported an injury affecting finish time or requiring post-race medical care (Study cohort around New York City Marathon; New York City Marathon study cohort). (Cardiac Arrest During Long-Distance Running…)
The BMJ study result is a specific cohort and not all marathon participants; source page was indexed but its publisher page returned access denial.
Marathon fundraising, volunteering and economic-impact statistics
- The 2024 Boston Marathon had 25,640 finishers (April 15, 2024). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The Boston Marathon’s 2024 official charity program involved 168 nonprofits (Boston Marathon Official Charity Program). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston Marathon generated $71.9 million in total charitable impact. (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The Boston Marathon charity program raised $45.7 million in 2024 (Boston Marathon Official Charity Program). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- Boston Marathon charity fundraising exceeded $550 million cumulatively since 1989 (1989-2024; Boston Marathon Official Charity Program). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston Marathon had 6,300 volunteers and 1,600 medical volunteers (April 15, 2024). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Boston Marathon generated $509.1 million in state and local economic activity (Boston and Massachusetts state/local economy). (2023-2024 Impact Report)
- The 2024 Chicago Marathon raised $36 million for charities. (Sustainability and Social Impact -…)
- Chicago Marathon participants had raised more than $358 million through the event since 2002 (2002-2024; Chicago Marathon charity program). (Sustainability and Social Impact -…)
- More than 16,000 Chicago Marathon runners participated on behalf of a cause in 2024. (Sustainability and Social Impact -…)
- Chicago reported more than 160 non-binary runners registered in its 2024 division (Chicago Marathon non-binary division). (Sustainability and Social Impact -…)
- Chicago reported a 48% increase in non-binary runners in 2024 from the prior year (2024 versus 2023; Chicago Marathon non-binary division). (Sustainability and Social Impact -…)
- Chicago’s 2024 refill-station initiative saved 14,680 plastic bottles from use (Chicago Marathon). (Sustainability and Social Impact -…)
Official impact-report count.
Program participation, not all charities benefiting from the event.
B.A.A. combines official charity-program fundraising and other donations.
Program subtotal within total charitable impact.
Cumulative nominal fundraising figure.
Event staffing counts reported by organizer.
Organizer-reported economic-impact estimate.
Participant fundraising total reported by event organizer.
Cumulative organizer-reported figure.
Organizer wording is more than 16,000.
Registration count, not necessarily finishers.
Organizer-reported year-over-year registration comparison.
Event sustainability estimate/report, not a participation statistic.