Running USA Releases “2025’s Top Races: A Look at the Year in Review” Industry Insights Report

January 20, 2026

New report highlights continued growth and momentum across U.S. running events

January 20, 2026 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ — Running USA today released 2025’s Top Races: Tracking Growth, a new Industry Insights Report examining participation trends across the U.S. running event landscape. The findings are available for download here.

The report shows that participation among the nation’s top races increased in 2025 compared to the previous year, with growth recorded across all major race distances, including the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. Collectively, these results point to a resilient and steadily growing sport supported by strong demand from runners nationwide and beyond.

The report is presented by Running USA’s event insurance program, which is sponsored by Nicholas Hill Group. Learn more about event insurance offerings for Running USA members here.

“This report reinforces what many organizers and partners are experiencing firsthand: runners are showing up, events are growing and the sport continues to move in a positive direction,” said Shawn K. Sullivan, Executive Director of Running USA. “From community 5Ks to world-renowned marathons, the data reflects a healthy ecosystem fueled by passionate participants, dedicated organizers and engaged communities.”

The report represents one of the most comprehensive compilations of participation data in the industry and includes rankings and analysis across multiple categories, including:

• Top races by major distance (5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon)
• Top races overall
• Top event weekends
• Year-over-year comparisons in finisher totals

The report also highlights notable performances from several of the world’s and nation’s most prominent events in 2025, reinforcing the continued global visibility and cultural relevance of distance running. Download the full report here.

Beyond rankings and finisher totals, Running USA emphasized that the broader takeaway from the data is the collective strength of the running community.

“Analyzing this year’s data made one thing clear: participation is strong and the sport’s momentum is real. We’re proud to provide this snapshot of where the industry stands and how it continues to grow,” said Michael Clemons, Director of Operations at Running USA.

Running USA welcomes feedback from event organizers and will continue refining its data collection as part of its ongoing commitment to providing meaningful, accurate industry insights. Events with questions or updates related to finisher data are encouraged to contact Clemons at michael@runningusa.org.

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 runningusa.org.