July 4th Races Set New Records in 2026

July 9, 2026

America's 250th anniversary, a Saturday holiday, and increasing interest in holiday runs combined to fuel record participation; per-race growth hit 9.9%

Moorestown, NJ (July 9, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – RunSignup, the leading technology solution for U.S. endurance events, released July 4th racing data for 2026, showing a dramatic jump in both race counts and participation. In all, 306,465 runners signed up for 769 July 4th races on RunSignup – a 39% increase in participants and a 55% increase in the number of races compared to 2025.

Some growth could likely be attributed to new races due to the 250th celebration, the holiday falling on a Saturday (typically the busiest racing day of the week), and increasing market share for RunSignup. However, the numbers also showed growth for existing races. Races using the platform in both 2025 and 2026 grew an average of 9.9%, outpacing the already-strong 5.9% per-race growth rate seen across the full first half of 2026.

“July 4th races don’t (yet) compete with Turkey Trots in terms of holiday tradition, but their upward trajectory is strong,” said Bob Bickel, CEO and Founder at RunSignup. “Race directors who launched a new event this year because of the favorable calendar and 250th anniversary should seriously consider making it an annual tradition for their community.”

Additional highlights from July 4th racing in 2026 include:

• All 50 states hosted at least one race. Texas led the way with 50 races, followed by California (48), Ohio (47), Florida (46), Michigan (41), and Pennsylvania (37).
• Larger events showed up, too. 66 races – 8.6% of all July 4th events – drew more than 1,000 participants.
• Race day technology was widely adopted. 55.1% of races used the RaceDay CheckIn App to check in 67.0% of all participants. 147 races sent a combined 171,079 email and text notifications to participants throughout the day.
• RaceDay Scoring, RunSignup’s next-generation scoring software, timed 92,685 participants across July 4th events.
• Photos kept the celebration going after the finish line. 159 races used the RunSignup Photo Platform to upload 67,509 free race day photos, including 8,082 captured via the RaceDay Mobile App.

Beyond racing, RunSignup’s TicketSignup platform powered July 4th celebrations of all kinds, including concerts, fireworks shows, historical reenactments, and more – reflecting how holidays inspire community events of all kinds.

For the full July 4th race data, visit:
https://info.runsignup.com/2026/07/06/july-4th-races-in-2026-holiday-running-grows/

About RunSignup

RunSignup, an employee-owned company, is the leading event solution delivering the art of technology to endurance events and nonprofits. More than 39,000 events use our free and open platform to register over 12 million annual participants, raise more than $3 billion and grow their events. Our expertly crafted, open and all-in-one solution powers event revenue generation and supporter engagement through flexible registration, free event websites, free email marketing, integrated fundraising, and a suite of RaceDay Real-Time products. RunSignup’s aggressive investment in AI technology ensures customers benefit from continuous innovation and industry-leading features at fair prices. No subscriptions, no plans, no monthly fees.

To find out why customers like the Richmond Marathon, American Cancer Society, and RaceDay Events use RunSignup, visit www.runsignup.com