Coming Events
Return to top / Return to main page

2008 State of the Sport Part III: U.S. Road Race Trends
The half-marathon's growth and popularity are more impressive than ever as sport reaches new heights

A review of running events data compiled by Running USA's Road Running Information Center shows that the Second Running Boom which began circa 1994 continues. In 2007, there was an estimated 8.9 million finishers in U.S. road races, a record number and a 4% increase from 2006 in spite of significant weather related decreases in fall marathon fields. By comparison, according to RRIC data, there were just over 3.7 million finishers in U.S. road races in 1987. (See Table 1 below.)

Table 1: 2007 U.S. Road Running Event Finishers

2007 Totals
% of Total
'06-'07 Change
5 km 3,423,000 38.6% 5%
10 km 1,130,000 12.7% 3%
8 km/5mi 670,000 7.5% 4%
Half-Mar 650,000 7.3% 10%
1 mile 515,000 5.8% 4%
Marathon 412,000 4.6% 0%
10 mile 345,000 3.9% 5%
4 mile 230,000 2.6% 3%
15 km 230,000 2.6% 5%
20/25/30 km 135,000 1.5% 4%
12 km 103,000 1.2% -2%
Others 1,032,000 11.6% 0%
Total 8,875,000 4%

Source: Running USA RRIC

Fueling this steady road race growth in recent years, along with the 5K, women, charity promotions and training programs, has been the half-marathon. Since 2003, the half-marathon has been the fastest growing road race distance in the U.S. and for two consecutive years, the total number of 13.1 mile finishers has grown by 10% in this country. In addition, from 1998 to 2007, the number of estimated half-marathon finishers in the U.S. has increased by 74% (373,000 vs. 650,000), while the number of half-marathons, over that same decade, grew by approximately 180 events (450 to 630).

Like past years, inaugural half-marathons added to the popularity of the distance as a number of relatively large half-marathons (>1,000 finishers) debuted in 2007 with the ING Georgia event leading the way with 9,135 finishers. For the same U.S. half-marathons, growth averaged 14% from 2006 to 2007.

The first 3 tables of total finishers, events and certified courses give a 2007 overview of the standard road race distances. The 5K, as it has been since 1994, is still the "king" in all three categories. The distance that comprises more than half of all road running events and certified courses also had a solid year with an increase of 7% finishers in the same events. It should be noted that the results that the RRIC does not receive are smaller and / or less established events so that's why the same event calculations differ from the estimated overall increase shown in Table 1.

Table 2: 2007 U.S. Running Events Summary

# of Events
% of Total
'06-'07 Change
5 km 7,900 51.0% 5.3%
10 km 1,930 12.5% -1.0%
8 km/5mi 860 5.5% 1.2%
Half-Mar 630 4.1% 14.5%
Marathon 425 2.7% 4.2%
Others 3,755 24.2% 3.7%
Total 15,500 4.2%

Source: Running USA RRIC

Table 3: USATF Certified Courses as of June 2008

# of Events
% of Total
'06-'07 Change
5 km 5,939 54.2% 5.3%
10 km 1,494 13.6% -0.4%
8 km/5mi 695 6.3% 0.6%
Half-Mar 711 6.5% 16.6%
1K/1M/2K/2M 459 4.2% 7.7%
Marathon 566 5.2% 5.4%
12K/15K/10M 385 3.5% 1.6%
4 mile 186 1.7% -0.5%
20/25/30 km 135 1.2% 4.7%
Ultras 76 0.7% -8.4%
Others 384 3.5% -3.3%
10,954 4.3%

Source: USA Track & Field

Women Match the Men
As mentioned earlier, women have been a driving force during the Second Running Boom, and the bar graph below clearly illustrates this twenty year trend. In 1987, 21% of all finishers in U.S. road races were women. By 2007, their percent hovered around 50%, but the more telling stat is the absolute number total which grew from just over 791,000 female finishers in 1987 to nearly 4.4 million in 2007 - a five-fold plus increase. There are fewer women-only events than a decade ago, but the same events averaged a 4% increase from 2006 to 2007. Most of the women-only events that appeared to be missing in recent years were part of the Komen Race for the Cure Series and evolved into coed 5Ks. In 2007, the successful series had 1.5 million participants, 120 events worldwide and raised more than $150 million for breast cancer research.

It is important to note that there are also more men finishing U.S. road races than ever before as their numbers grew from 2.97 million to 4.48 million for a nice 50% increase during the same time span.

Chart 1: Increase of Females in U.S. Road Running Events

Increae of Females

Source: Running USA RRIC

Age Group Distribution Stays Consistent
Since the end of the nineties the percent of masters (40 years and over) in the overall running population has declined slowly from 43% to 40%. The extra percent or two decrease has come from small increases in the youth between 6 and 17 years (9% of males and 8% of females in 2007) and the college age 18 to 24 years (7% of males and 11% of the females). As the table below illustrates, there is a significant difference between the percent of males who are masters (46.1%) and the percent of females (34.6%).

Table 4: Age Group Distribution of Road Running Events

2007 Overall 2002 Overall
% Masters 40.4% 41%
         
  Women Men Women Men
% Masters 34.6% 46.1% 35.6% 47.3%
 
<20 9.7% 10.2% 8.6% 7.8%
20-29 26.3% 16.5% 24.7% 15.2%
30-39 29.4% 27.2% 31.0% 29.7%
40-49 21.9% 25.1% 22.3% 27.1%
50-59 9.9% 15.1% 10.4% 14.9%
60-69 2.4% 4.9% 2.4% 4.3%
70+ 0.3% 1.0% 0.5% 1.0%

Source: Running USA RRIC

Event Preference Results from National Runner Survey
In Running USA's National Runner Survey which was featured in Part II of this report, not surprisingly, the half-marathon was selected as each gender's first choice as the event "most interested in entering next year". The second choice for women was the 5K and for men, it was the 10K. The half-marathon was also each gender's "favorite race distance". The second race choice for men was the marathon, while for women, it was the 5K.

When asked what factors will determine event participation in the future, "Distance" was number 2, behind "convenient location" and ahead of "It sounds fun". See pie charts and tables below.

Table 5: Events Most Interested in Entering Next Year

Which EVENTS are you most interested in entering NEXT YEAR? (check all that apply.)
Females
Males
Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) 69.7% 68.1%
10K (6.2 mile) 55.4% 59.4%
5K (3.1 mile) 57.7% 56.9%
Marathon (26.2 miles) 45.6% 57.4%
12K, 15K or 10 mile 28.3% 27.9%
4 mile, 8K or 5 mile 21.6% 22.8%
Triathlon/Duathlon 20.8% 19.6%
Trail Race 16.3% 19.5%
20K, 25K or 30K 8.6% 13.0%
Cross-Country Race 5.7% 9.6%
Ultra-Marathon (more than 26.2 miles) 4.4% 9.4%
Fun Run or Untimed Run 7.4% 4.9%
Road Running Relay 6.3% 6.2%
1 mile or 2 mile 5.4% 6.0%
Track Race 2.3% 4.5%
Untimed Walk Event 3.6% 1.0%
None 0.7% 0.8%

Chart 2: Favorite Race Distance

 
Female Distance Preference
  
Male Distance Preference
Favorite DistanceMale distance preferences

Table 6: Factors Affecting Event Participation

What factors will determine your event participation in NEXT 12 MONTHS (check all)?
Females
Males
Location is convenient 68.4% 64.0%
It’s a distance I prefer 61.6% 62.2%
It sounds fun 59.8% 47.3%
I have time to train 53.2% 44.0%
Scenic course 47.9% 43.2%
My friends are doing it 44.5% 31.2%
Reputation of event or organizers 36.2% 39.7%
Location and date would make good vacation 33.7% 33.9%
It benefits an important cause 33.4% 19.5%
Quality t-shirt 24.5% 23.9%
Medal or other momento for finishers 19.2% 19.4%
Promise of a unique event 20.9% 20.6%
Accurate, certified course 16.2% 23.3%
Entertainment on course or finish 21.6% 13.4%
Fast course 14.0% 16.6%
No crowds/traffic/hassles expected 12.3% 10.5%
Good age group awards 9.6% 10.0%
Something offered for other family members 9.0% 8.0%
There is an expo 6.7% 6.2%
Appropriate training group is available 5.7% 2.3%
Random participant awards 4.3% 3.4%
Race is part of a local grand prix 2.2% 6.0%
Elite runners in the field 1.8% 3.9%
I want to increase my Runner Rankings points 1.4% 1.4%

Source: National Runner Survey

Running USA would like to thank event organizers, timers and Active.com for contributing to the results collection effort which is used for the annual trends reports as well as the Runner Rankings. The Runner Rankings can be found on www.runningusa.org and www.active.com/rankings.

Sources for Part III
RRIC = Running USA's Road Running Information Center. State of the Sport reports, many types of running data and lists of the Largest Races from past years can be found on RunningUSA.org in the Statistics section. For other questions about running trends and demographics, contact Ryan Lamppa [ryan@runningusa.org] or Linda Honikman [rric@runningusa.org].

National Runner Survey = An on-line survey conducted by Running USA and RRCA with more than 8,000 participants from running events, clubs and stores.

USATF = USA Track & Field is the governing body for track and field, race walking and long distance running in the U.S. For information on certified courses, go to: www.usatf.org/events/courses/search

Return to top / Return to main page

2008 U.S. Olympic Distance Team Has High Hopes in Beijing
Can Team USA continue the success of Athens 2004 and Osaka 2007?
By Ryan Lamppa, Running USA wire

The 2008 U.S. Olympic distance team - led by two-time Olympic 1500 meter medalist Bernard Lagat and 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor - is perhaps the best and most complete group of U.S. runners for the Summer Games ever. The Beijing team has veterans such as Lagat, Kastor, past Olympians Jen Rhines, Abdi Abdirahman, Shalane Flanagan, Anthony Famiglietti and Dathan Ritzenhein and rising stars such as Ryan Hall, Kara Goucher, Matt Tegenkamp, Galen Rupp, Jenny Barringer and Anna Willard.

In Athens 2004, the Team USA won two "surprise" distance Olympic medals - Kastor's marathon bronze and Meb Keflezighi's marathon silver, and if the 2008 U.S. distance contingent improves upon that medal number against tough competition from the Kenyans, Ethiopians, Japanese and Chinese, few if any would be surprised as the United States has added more depth and outstanding performances since the Olympic success of Kastor and Keflezighi.

The following includes the 2008 U.S. Olympic distance team and event summary for the Summer Games hosted by Beijing, China. The track and field competition - held in the National Stadium or "Bird's Nest" - starts on Friday, August 15 (the women's 10,000 meters is the first track final) and ends Sunday, August 24 (the men's marathon is the last track final). The women's 3000 meter steeplechase will make its Olympic debut in Beijing.

MEN
3000 Meter Steeplechase (8:24.60 / 8:32.00, Olympic "A" and "B" standards) - Final, Monday, August 18
Olympic Record (8:05.51), Julius Kariuki, Kenya 1988
World Record (7:53.63), Saif Shaheen, Qatar, 2004
U.S. Record (8:08.82), Daniel Lincoln, 2006

Last American gold medal (Horace Ashenfelter, Helsinki 1952)
Last American medal (bronze, Brian Diemer, Los Angeles 1984)

Anthony Famiglietti, 29, New York, NY
PR: 8:17.91 '04 College: Tennessee '00
2002 USA Steeplechase champion; 2001 World University Games Steeplechase gold medalist; 2004 Olympian in the steeple

Billy Nelson, 23, Longmont, CO
PR: 8:21.47 '08 College: Colorado '07
Earned Beijing berth with Olympic "A" standard at Olympic Trials as runner-up

Josh McAdams, 28, Orem, UT
PR: 8:21.36 '07 College: BYU '06
2007 USA Steeplechase champion and Pan Am Games champion; 2006 NCAA champion in the event

5000 Meters (13:21.50 / 13:28.00) - Final, Saturday, August 23
Olympic Record (13:05.59), Said Aouita, Morocco, 1984
World Record (12:37.35), Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, 2004
U.S. Record (12:58.21), Bob Kennedy, 1996

Last American gold medal (Bob Schul, Tokyo 1964)
Last American medal (gold, Bob Schul, Tokyo 1964)

Bernard Lagat, 33, Tucson, AZ
PR: 12:59.22 '06 College: Washington State '99
2007 World champion at 1500 and 5000 meters in Osaka; two-time Olympic 1500 meter medalist (2000 - bronze and 2004 - silver); will also attempt 1500 / 5000 double in Beijing; first Olympic team as a U.S. citizen (native of Kenya)

Matt Tegenkamp, 26, Madison, WI
PR: 13:04.90 '06 College: Wisconsin '05
4th at 2007 World Championships 5000m in Osaka; fastest U.S. 2 mile time (8:07.07)

Ian Dobson, 26, Mammoth Lakes, CA
PR: 13:15.33 '05 College: Stanford '05
A member of three World Championship teams (2005 track and 2005-06 cross country); Team Running USA member

10,000 Meters (27:50.00 / 28:10.00) - Final, Sunday, August 17
Olympic Record (27:05.10), Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, 2004
World Record (26:17.53), Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, 2005
U.S. Record (27:13.98), Meb Keflezighi, 2001

Last American gold medal (Billy Mills, Tokyo 1964)
Last American medal (gold, Billy Mills, Tokyo 1964)

Abdi Abdirahman, 31, Tucson, AZ
PR: 27:16.99 '08 College: Arizona '99
10th 2000 Olympics 10,000m (27:46.17); also Olympian at 10,000m in 2004

Galen Rupp, 22, Portland, OR
PR: 27:33.48 '07 College: Oregon '09
U.S. Junior record holder at 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m

Jorge Torres, 27, Boulder, CO
PR: 27:42.91 '07 College: Colorado '03
2006 USA 10,000 champion

Marathon (2:15:00 / 2:18:00) - Final, Sunday, August 24
Olympic Record (2:09:21), Carlos Lopes, Portugal, Los Angeles 1984
World Record (2:04:26), Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia, 2007
U.S. Record (2:05:38), Khalid Khannouchi, 2002

Last American gold medal (Frank Shorter, Munich 1972)
Last American medal (silver, Meb Keflezighi, Athens 2004)

Ryan Hall, 25, Big Bear Lake, CA
PR: 2:06:17 '08 College: Stanford '06
Second fastest American all-time in the marathon; Olympic Marathon Trials record (2:09:02); U.S. marathon debut record (2:08:24); 2005 NCAA 5000m champion; Team Running USA member

Dathan Ritzenhein, 25, Eugene, OR
PR: 2:11:07 '07 College: Colorado '04
2004 Olympian at 10,000 meters; 2001 World Junior Cross Country Championships bronze medalist

Brian Sell, 30, Rochester Hills, MI
PR: 2:10:47 '06 College: St. Francis '01
9th World Championships Marathon in 2005 at Helsinki, Finland

WOMEN
3000 Meter Steeplechase (9:46.00 / 9:55.00) - Final, Sunday, August 17
Olympic Record (debut event)
World Record (9:01.59), Gulnara Galkina, Russia, 2004
U.S. Record (9:22.73), Jenny Barringer, 2008

Last American medal (debut event)

Anna Willard, 24, Ann Arbor, MI
PR: 9:22.76 '08 College: Michigan '07 / Brown '06
2007 NCAA 3000m Steeplechase champion; former U.S. record holder

Lindsey Anderson, 23, Ogden, UT
PR: 9:30.75 '08 College: Weber State '07
2007 NCAA 3000m Steeplechase runner-up

Jenny Barringer, 21, Boulder, CO
PR: 9:22.73 '08 College: Colorado '09
2006 & 2008 NCAA 3000m Steeplechase champion; U.S. record holder

5000 Meters (15:09.00 / 15:24.00) - Final, Friday, August 22
Olympic Record (14:40.79), Gabriela Szabo, Romania, 2000
World Record (14:11.15), Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia, 2008
U.S. Record (14:44.80), Shalane Flanagan, 2007

Last American gold medal (not yet)
Last American medal (not yet, best U.S. finish 9th by Lynn Jennings '96; in 3000m, Cindy Bremser 4th '84)

Kara Goucher, 30, Portland, OR
PR: 14:55.02 '07 College: Colorado '01
2007 World Championships 10,000m bronze medalist at Osaka

Jen Rhines, 34, Mammoth Lakes, CA
PR: 14:54.29 '08 College: Villanova '96
Also Olympian in 2000 (10,000m) and 2004 (marathon); Team Running USA member

Shalane Flanagan, 27, Pittsboro, NC
PR: 14:44.80 '07 College: North Carolina '04
U.S. record holder in 5000m and 10,000m; 2004 Olympian at 5000m

10,000 Meters (31:45.00 / 32:20.00) - Final, Friday, August 15
Olympic Record (30:17.49), Derartu Tulu, Ethiopia, Sydney 2000
World Record (29:31.78), Wang Junxia, China, 1993
U.S. Record (30:34.49), Shalane Flanagan, 2008

Last American gold medal (not yet)
Last American medal (bronze, Lynn Jennings, Barcelona 1992)

Shalane Flanagan, 27, Pittsboro, NC
PR: 30:34.49 '08 College: North Carolina '04
U.S. record holder in 5000m and 10,000m; 2004 Olympian at 5000m

Kara Goucher, 30, Portland, OR
PR: 31:17.12 '06 College: Colorado '01
2007 World Championships 10,000m bronze medalist at Osaka

Amy Begley, 30, Beaverton, OR
PR: 31:43.60 '08 College: Arkansas '01
Earned Beijing berth with Olympic "A" standard at the Olympic Trials

Marathon (2:37:00 / 2:42:00) - Final, Sunday, August 17
Olympic Record (2:23:14), Naoko Takahashi, Japan, Sydney 2000
World Record (2:15:25), Paula Radcliffe, Great Britain, 2003
U.S. Record (2:19:36), Deena Kastor, 2006

Last American gold medal (Joan Benoit, Los Angeles 1984)
Last American medal (bronze, Deena Kastor, Athens 2004)

Deena Kastor, 35, Mammoth Lakes, CA
PR: 2:19:36 '06 College: Arkansas '96
2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist; U.S. marathon record holder; also Olympian in 2000 (10,000m); Team Running USA member

Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 35, Oakland, CA
PR: 2:30:19 '08 College: University of California - Berkeley '97
Native of Poland became U.S. citizen on September 11, 2001.

Blake Russell, 33, Pacific Grove, CA
PR: 2:29:10 '05 College: North Carolina '97
1999 Pan Am Games 5000m bronze medalist; same coach as Joan Benoit: Bob Sevene

2008 Olympic Schedule of Distance Events
Beijing, China, August 15-24

Subject to change; times are local Beijing time (12 hours and 15 hours ahead of EST and PST, respectively)

Friday, August 15, 2008
8:25pm - 3000m Steeplechase women 1st round
10:45pm - 10,000m women final

Saturday, August 16, 2008
9:20am - 3000m Steeplechase men 1st round

Sunday, August 17, 2008
7:30am - Marathon women final
9:30pm - 3000m Steeplechase women final
10:45pm - 10,000m men final

Monday, August 18, 2008
9:10pm - 3000m Steeplechase men final

Tuesday, August 19, 2008
7:35pm - 5000m women 1st round

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
8:15pm - 5000m men 1st round

Friday, August 22, 2008
8:40pm - 5000m women final

Saturday, August 23, 2008
8:10pm - 5000m men final

Sunday, August 24, 2008
7:30am - Marathon men final

For more information, visit: USATF.org or www.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/

Return to top / Return to main page

Wave Starts and Automated Recording of Mile Splits Added to ING New York City Marathon 2008
Most significant logistical changes to five-borough race since 2001

NEW YORK - (August 12, 2008) - In the most significant logistical changes to the race since 2001, the ING New York City Marathon 2008 will feature wave starts and automated recording of all runners' split times for the final 10 miles, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg. The 39th running of the ING New York City Marathon will take place on Sunday, November 2.

The new start plan, with revised start times, has runners crossing the famed Verrazano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn in three waves, each utilizing all three existing start lines. The professional men's field will start with the first wave of the Open field at 9:40am, 30 minutes earlier than in previous years. The two additional waves will follow at 10:00 and 10:20. (As in the past, the professional women's race will start separately, before the mass starts; this start will take place at 9:10am) Race organizers expect that runners in each wave will clear the start in no more than six minutes, a dramatic improvement from previous years.

In addition to improving the flow of runners across and off of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the new system will alleviate choke points along the course and at the finish. Key areas that should see an ease in congestion are mile 8 - where the three starts converge at the Brooklyn Academy of Music - and the post-finish area in Central Park.

The last major change to the logistics of the five-borough race came in 2001, when the course was altered to enter Central Park at 90th Street.

This year's changes are being made to improve runner satisfaction and enhance the runner experience, and with an eye to the future, according to Wittenberg.

"On race day, it's all about the runners," Wittenberg said. "This move will improve the overall quality of the race experience and further add to the magic of running New York."

Revisions to the runner baggage collection at the start will now see baggage assigned to transport vehicles by bib number to coordinate with new wave starts. In past years, baggage collection was organized according to last name.

In a second new enhancement for 2008, race organizers will track splits of all runners for the race's final 10 miles, beginning at mile 16 when runners exit the Queensboro Bridge onto First Avenue in Manhattan, until mile 26, within sight of the famed finish line at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. Split times will be captured via the ChampionChip® system and will be logged on NYRR's athlete tracker application.

"Our intention in the future is to provide a complete scorecard of 26.2 miles for every runner, and this is a big step toward reaching that goal," Wittenberg said.

The marathon received a record number of nearly 105,000 applications in 2008. A starting field of approximately 39,000 is expected for this year's race. In 2007, the ING New York City Marathon put up record numbers from start to finish: More than 100,000 people applied, and 39,265 started the race, the largest marathon field in history; 38,607 finished the marathon, also the most ever.

This year's race will continue to feature more than six hours of television coverage, including five hours of local coverage on WNBC in the tri-state area and a one-hour national highlight show on NBC on Sunday afternoon.

The ING New York City Marathon
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world's great road races, drawing more than 105,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and more than 300 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the some 750,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit: INGNYCMarathon.org

The ING New York City Marathon is also one of five events in the World Marathon Majors series that showcases the sport's top athletes and awards an unprecedented $1 million champion's prize. The WMM series also includes the Boston Marathon, the Flora London Marathon, the real,- Berlin Marathon, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. For more information, go to: WorldMarathonMajors.com

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org | www.RunningUSA.org