The Great Run Company, owners of the world’s biggest half marathon, the Great North Run, has revealed the four core trends identified in 2024 which look set to continue into 2025.
Using 2024 participant data from more than 180,000 runners across its portfolio of annual running events, the Great Run Company’s Rewind24 Report highlighted:
- the love of running is not waning with more and more people taking up the sport
- new runners are challenging themselves with the distances they take on
- the boom in running is being fuelled by Gen Z
- the gender gap in participation continues to shrink
Keep on running: the popularity of running continues at pace with a 39% increase in participation versus 2023, according to growth figures across the Great Run Series, excluding The Great North Run which has a capped participation number of 60,000 each year. This growth in participation follows stats reported by online event platform Let’s Do This which shows the running event market grew by 23% in 2024.
Challenge accepted: there is significant growth in brand new runners taking on Great Run challenges which start at 5k up to half marathons, with 53% of participants being first timers in 2024. This is up 13% on 2023 participants.
Gez Z zoom: more young runners are embracing the sport than ever before with 47% of entrants being aged 35 and under. They are also not afraid to take on a challenge with young runners over indexing on the half marathon distance versus other age groups – 50% are aged under 35 years.
Women lace up: the gender gap in participation continues to shrink with 46% of runners being female in 2024, up 2% year on year. However, distance wise, 25% more men are taking on the half marathon distance with 5k and 10k distances now skewed more towards females.
Eilish McColgan OLY, Great Run Series ambassador, British and European record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, said: “It’s music to my ears to know that the popularity of running continues to rise. Running is in my blood, I’ve always loved it, but people find their way to running for many different reasons and at different stages in their lives. That’s what is so brilliant about it – the entry barrier to getting involved is so low, all you need is the motivation to get moving and a pair of trainers.
“What starts as a jog around the block can progress to a 5k or 10k quite quickly with determination and commitment. We’ve also seen that the huge rise in ‘run crews’ is not only getting more young women lacing up as they feel safer running together, the groups are helping novice runners to extend their distances. The camaraderie and support between runners is hugely motivational and those regular run meets help you clock up the miles without you realising. Many young runners are now swapping a trip to the pub for their run crew meet as a regular way to socialise.”
McColgan’s top three tips for getting started:
- Invest in a pair of trainers: they don’t have to be expensive, instead look for good support to keep your foot stable as it lands on the ground, and cushioning to absorb impact and provide comfort.
- Find a running buddy: check out social media for a local running group or crew near you. Many focus on ‘couch to 5k’ for complete novices or the mental health benefits of running – finding like minded people will be a huge support and motivation.
- Commit: whether it’s two laps of the local park twice a week, or a Sunday morning group run, commit to making running part of your regular week until you get into the routine of running. Don’t go too hard too soon and set yourself up for failure – little and often and running will soon become second nature.
For more information see greatrun.org/events
Image: The Great North Run (Credit: The Great Run Company)