Race participation statistics vary by denominator: an entrant may not start, a starter may not finish, and a survey estimate of recreational running is not a race-entry count. The figures below cover U.S. platform data, named events in Germany and the United States, Honolulu’s international field, and a representative Portuguese adult survey, with periods and definitions kept explicit.
Key Race Participation Statistics
The most useful headline figures are:
- In 2024, 8,403,284 participants across 58,636 U.S. events were tracked by RunSignup.
- Across matched U.S. RunSignup races, participation increased 8.2% from 2023 to 2024.
- U.S. RunSignup events of 5K and shorter recorded 5,397,200 participants in 2024, up 9.4% from 2023.
- U.S. ultra events on RunSignup recorded 187,907 participants in 2024, up 14.2% from 2023.
- U.S. races with fewer than 500 participants recorded 2,882,647 participants in 2024, up 10.0% from 2023.
- ADAC Marathon Hannover recorded 26,612 total participants in 2024, including 3,677 marathoners and 9,848 half-marathoners.
- Hannover’s total participation was 22,450 in 2017, compared with 15,456 in 2012.
- The 2024 Honolulu Marathon Weekend recorded 36,121 entrants across three event distances in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Japan entrants represented 28.62% of Honolulu’s 2024 entrants, or 10,338 people.
- The 2023 TCS New York City Marathon had 51,402 finishers from 51,933 starters.
- NYC’s 2023 marathon included 16,748 international finishers and representation from 148 countries.
- The 2024 Boston Marathon recorded 25,554 finishers from 26,495 starters.
- Boston’s 2024 18–39 age group included 9,510 finishers from 10,798 entrants.
- Boston’s 2024 70–74 age group included 256 finishers from 335 entrants, with an 86.8% reported finish rate.
- A representative 2017 Portuguese adult survey estimated recreational running prevalence at 10.6%.
- In that Portuguese survey, 13% of recreational runners reported participating in 2–5 races or events per year.
Contents
- Key Race Participation Statistics
- Race Participation Statistics by Distance and Event Size
- Marathon and Half-Marathon Participation Trends in Hannover
- Honolulu Marathon Participation and International Entrants
- New York City Marathon Participation by Gender and Geography
- Boston Marathon Statistics by Age, Gender and Finish Rate
- Recreational Running and Community Race Participation Data
Race Participation Statistics by Distance and Event Size
RunSignup tracked 56,468 events and 7,764,367 participants in 2023 across the included U.S. races, then 58,636 events and 8,403,284 participants in 2024. These are platform observations, not a census of every U.S. race, and the matched-race comparison includes only races present on the platform in both years. RunSignup RaceTrends 2024
| RunSignup category | 2023 participants | 2024 participants | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5K and shorter | 4,931,999 | 5,397,200 | 9.4% |
| 10K and shorter | 923,713 | 1,005,491 | 8.9% |
| Half marathon and shorter | 813,702 | 863,193 | 6.1% |
| Marathon and shorter | 233,053 | 237,297 | 1.8% |
| Ultra events | 164,546 | 187,907 | 14.2% |
| Triathlon events | 141,642 | 146,832 | 3.7% |
The distance groups are the report’s grouped definitions, so “10K and shorter” and “marathon and shorter” are cumulative categories rather than single-distance races. Triathlon is included in the platform report but is not a running-only measure.
Race size also mattered in the 2023–2024 comparison. Races with fewer than 500 participants grew from 2,620,632 to 2,882,647, while races with 501–1,000 participants rose from 1,351,852 to 1,443,498.
| Race-weekend size grouping | 2023 participants | 2024 participants | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 500 | 2,620,632 | 2,882,647 | 10.0% |
| 501–1,000 | 1,351,852 | 1,443,498 | 6.8% |
| 1,001–5,000 | 2,339,916 | 2,519,134 | 7.7% |
| More than 5,000 | 876,828 | 921,599 | 5.1% |
RunSignup groups race weekends using its report methodology, so these size bands should not be treated as universal industry classifications. The matched-race increase of 8.2% is likewise a comparison of participating platform races, not a national participation estimate.
Marathon and Half-Marathon Participation Trends in Hannover
The official ADAC Marathon Hannover statistics show a multi-distance event rather than a single marathon field. In 2024, Hannover recorded 26,612 total participants: 3,677 marathoners, 9,848 half-marathoners, 4,071 10K participants, 5,052 relay participants, 518 walking or Nordic-walking participants, and 3,446 in other or kids categories. Statistics: Participants 2001–2024
| Hannover measure | Earlier period | Later period | Reported values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total participation | 2012 | 2017 | 15,456; 22,450 |
| Marathon participation | 2012 | 2017 | 1,876; 2,486 |
| Half-marathon participation | 2012 | 2017 | 6,021; 8,971 |
| Total participation | 2006 | 2010 | 11,346; 15,429 |
| Marathon participation | 2006 | 2010 | 1,718; 2,091 |
| Half-marathon participation | 2006 | 2010 | 4,758; 6,010 |
The more recent comparison is not uniformly upward for the marathon and half marathon. Total participation was 26,792 in 2019 and 19,097 in 2023, while marathon participation was 3,037 in 2019 and 2,295 in 2023; half-marathon participation was 10,054 in 2019 and 6,888 in 2023.
These historical event counts may reflect changes in event composition and post-pandemic conditions. They describe participation at Hannover, not the prevalence of marathon or half-marathon running in Germany’s population.
Honolulu Marathon Participation and International Entrants
Honolulu’s official entry statistics use entrants as the primary denominator. The 2024 Honolulu Marathon Weekend recorded a record 36,121 entrants across three event distances, including 10,338 Japan entrants, or 28.62% of the field. Entry Statistics
| Honolulu year | Total entrants | Japan entrants or share | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 36,121 | 10,338; 28.62% | In-person weekend; three distances |
| 2023 | 28,637 | 9,168; 32.01% | Entrants, not finishers |
| 2022 | 28,411 | Not supplied | Entrants, not finishers |
| 2021 | 16,091 | 566; 3.5% | Pandemic-era conditions |
| 2020 | 16,514 | 5,031; 30.45% | Virtual race |
| 2019 | 33,255 | 49.20% | Event-defined Japan category |
| 2018 | 33,558 | 48.20% | Event-defined Japan category |
The 2020 figure is for a virtual race and is not directly comparable with in-person years. The 2021 field was also atypical because of pandemic-era event conditions, while nationality or origin categories follow the event’s definitions.
For historical context, the 1995 Honolulu Marathon had 34,434 entrants and 27,022 finishers. That record is an older event statistic, and definitions may differ from current reporting.
New York City Marathon Participation by Gender and Geography
The 2023 TCS New York City Marathon had 51,933 starters and 51,402 finishers, subject to final scoring verification at publication. The field included 28,501 men, 22,807 women and 94 non-binary finishers. TCS New York City Marathon Becomes World’s Largest Marathon in 2023
| NYC 2023 field measure | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Starters | 51,933 |
| Finishers | 51,402 |
| Male finishers | 28,501 |
| Female finishers | 22,807 |
| Non-binary finishers | 94 |
| International finishers | 16,748 |
| Countries represented | 148 |
The race represented all 50 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam, alongside 148 countries. Representation counts show geographic breadth, not how many entrants came from each country or jurisdiction.
The NYRR tracking system tracked 92% of 2023 finishers. That is app-tracking coverage, not the share of participants who entered, started or finished the race.
Boston Marathon Statistics by Age, Gender and Finish Rate
The official 2024 Boston Marathon statistics distinguish entrants, starters and finishers. Boston entered 29,333 runners, 26,495 started and 25,554 finished, with a reported 96.5% finish rate among starters. 2024 Boston Marathon Statistics
| Boston 2024 measure | Entrants | Starters | Finishers | Reported finish rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 29,333 | 26,495 | 25,554 | 96.5% |
| Male | 16,714 | Not supplied | 14,578 | Not supplied |
| Female | 12,566 | Not supplied | 10,928 | Not supplied |
| Non-binary | 53 | 49 | 48 | 98.0% |
The gender categories reflect race registration and results reporting. The non-binary subgroup is small, so its event-specific percentage should not be generalized.
Age-group reporting shows a selected marathon population, not the general population. The 18–39 group had 10,798 entrants, 9,854 starters and 9,510 finishers; the 40–44 group had 4,184 entrants and 3,623 finishers, with a reported 97.2% finish rate.
| Boston age group, 2024 | Entrants | Finishers | Reported finish rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50–54 | 3,560 | 3,122 | 97.1% |
| 60–64 | 2,007 | 1,722 | 95.4% |
| 70–74 | 335 | 256 | 86.8% |
Boston also included 49 wheelchair entrants, 45 handcycle entrants and 46 mobility-impaired runners. These adaptive-division counts overlap different reporting tables and should not be summed across categories.
Recreational Running and Community Race Participation Data
A representative 2017 Portuguese adult survey estimated recreational running prevalence at 10.6%. This is a cross-sectional survey estimate of recreational running, not an administrative count of race entries. Running prevalence in Portugal: Socio-demographic, behavioral and psychosocial characteristics
| Portuguese survey measure | Reported result | Population or definition |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational running prevalence | 10.6% | Representative adults |
| Prevalence among men | 14.6% | Portuguese men in the survey |
| Prevalence among women | 6.6% | Portuguese women in the survey |
| Prevalence in younger group | 13.6% | Study-defined younger group |
| Prevalence in older group | 7.7% | Study-defined older group |
Among Portuguese recreational runners, the survey reported an average of 3.4 running sessions per week, 20.0 kilometers per week and 3.0 hours per week. These are self-reported averages among runners, not race-distance participation for all adults.
The survey also found that 13% of Portuguese recreational runners reported participating in 2–5 races or events per year. The frequency band does not establish the event type or distance, so it should not be directly compared with marathon, half-marathon or platform event counts.
In the same survey, 15% of Portuguese recreational runners reported an injury in the previous year, with an average recovery period of 7 weeks. Those measures are self-reported running outcomes rather than race participation outcomes, and they do not establish causation.