When Will Athletes Be Ready To Return?

April 23, 2021

Brooklyn, NY—While many running event companies have been putting on races for some time and are looking to continue ramping up, are most athletes prepared to resume racing?

NYCRUNS, a New York based running company that puts on over two dozen races annually in New York City, began organizing safe events in August under the guidance of their newly implemented DASH to the Start COVID-19 plan. Since then, NYCRUNS has put on over a dozen events for more than 4,000 athletes.

In doing so, NYCRUNS observed that although many customers have returned, a substantial amount have not. NYCRUNS distributed a survey to over 50,000 customers, seeking to understand their current attitudes towards racing. They found thatwhile many athletes are eager to resume their racing schedule, a significant number are still not quite ready.

The largest group of respondents, 41% of the sample, indicated that they are waiting for events to become more “normal” before participating. What constitutes “normal” has certainly evolved since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but these respondents indicated that they will not feel comfortable participating until social distancing is no longer recommended, masking is no longer required, and new COVID-19 cases are sporadic in the area.

The second largest group, 34% of respondents, are already participating or intend to participate in races within the next three months. A third group, 19% of respondents; are prepared to participate in races but have not found an event they are interested in running. This group of respondents expressed a desire to see greater availability of longer distanced races.

Ultimately, these numbers align with the internal registration patterns observed by NYCRUNS.  The data suggest that while racing businesses will need to continue to implement COVID-19 safety efforts to respond to athletes’ concerns, as long as they do, some athletes will not be racing.

###

About NYCRUNS:

In 2021, NYCRUNS plans to produce over two dozen races in New York City including our flagship event, the Brooklyn Marathon & Half Marathon; and one of the largest half marathons in New Jersey, the Newport Liberty Half Marathon. Our goal is to give athletes the chance to win their race by providing them with the best possible experience from the time they register until the moment they see their free finisher photos.

Our races are accurately measured, electronically timed, supported by a world-class medical group, and staffed by a highly trained team. Although they may look slightly different now due to COVID-19, our post-race festivals have featured fresh New York bagels (with a shmear of course – this is New York), fresh fruit, and a great DJ. Our events are fun, vibrant, not overcrowded, and all about showing athletes a good time. Simply put, week in and week out, our goal is to put on the best races in New York City, and we can’t wait to see you Win YOUR Race!