Running USA Releases 2024 Top Races Report Highlighting Significant Growth Across All Categories

February 14, 2025

February 14, 2025 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Running USA today shared the final report on the country’s top races for 2024 (July to December). The number of finishers in the top 100 races across the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon categories grew by an average of 15% in the second half of 2024, compared to the second half of 2023. Download the report here.

While major fall marathons such as the TCS New York City Marathon and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon set new records, the growth was not confined to the largest events.

“More than ever, runners want to race. From the 5K to the marathon, they have hundreds of world-class races to choose from,” said Jay Holder, Executive Director of Running USA. “Whether runners want to travel or run in their hometown, there are great events happening every weekend in every community in the country.”

5K Races: A Thanksgiving Tradition

Thanksgiving remains America’s favorite day to run, with Turkey Trots in California, Texas, Idaho, South Carolina, and Florida seeing finisher increases of over 30% from the previous year. The new Diplo’s Run Club 5K races in San Francisco and Seattle debuted with over 17,000 combined finishers, and Philadelphia’s Rocky Run 5K saw a remarkable 65% growth in participants.

Two New York Road Runner events – the Percy Sutton 5K and the Jersey City 5K – stood out for speed, being the only top 100 races with average finish times under 30 minutes.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race maintained its status as the premier 10K, despite seeing a slight drop in finishers due to extreme heat. The Lola Challenge Weekend 10K experienced an impressive 91% increase in finishers, while the Troy Turkey Trot posted the fastest average finish time of 57:22.

Marathon and Half Marathon Growth

Disney races in Florida and California dominated the half marathon category in the latter half of 2024. The REVEL Big Bear Half Marathon in California more than doubled its finishers and boasted the fastest average finish time of 1:55:02.

Mid-sized city marathons in Indianapolis, Long Beach, Charlotte, Boulder, Chattanooga, Harrisburg, Ann Arbor, and Palm Beach saw over 30% growth in finishers. The Fort Worth and Queens Marathons more than doubled their participant numbers. The Beantown Marathon in Hingham, MA posted the fastest average marathon finish time of 3:43:21.

The report is based on data from the Athlinks database and independent research by the Running USA staff, including only timed races and excluding virtual events. Download the report here.

About Running USA

Running USA is a non-profit that serves as the leading trade organization for the running industry in North America and hosts the nation’s preeminent industry conference annually. Through education, research, best practices, and data, Running USA is committed to supporting and facilitating growth, diversification, and excitement in running communities everywhere. We promote networking and idea-sharing between event organizers, sponsors, vendors, and athletes. Running USA is a member of a global alliance of organizations focused on the betterment of the global running community, including the Running Industry Alliance and European Athletics. For more information, visit https://www.runningusa.org/.