Local running races drive economic growth and community pride
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With two sons who run on their school cross-country teams, I’ve logged countless hours cheering proudly along the course, admiring the camaraderie that develops over a season as the team pulls together and chases faster times. In my role as the director of recreation and wellness for the city of Fishers, I’m fortunate to help create unique opportunities to drive engagement and community impact–and on Sept. 14 I’ll be cheering proudly along the Geist Half Race Series course, soaking in the community spirit and celebrating the positive impact of a local running event.
Whether it’s a 5K for 500 runners or a marathon for 50,000, a well “run” event can generate significant sports tourism dollars and pride for local communities. Running events like 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, full marathons, triathlons and obstacle course races have been a growing trend in the U.S. for more than a decade. Last year, there were approximately 120,000 organized running events with over 14 million registered participants across the country. That represents a 7.9% increase over the prior year and continues a growth trend coming out of the pandemic.
Local Economic Impact
Not only are more Americans engaging in these activities to reach fitness goals, but they are also commemorating their achievements by spending money at the restaurants, retail shops, hotels and transportation services near the race. According to industry data, approximately 40% of all race registrants in 2023 were ages 30- 49. That’s good news as these athletes, often traveling with family or friends as spectators, are typically established professionals with disposable income. When the ‘runner’s high’ endorphins hit after accomplishing a big race, runners are ready to celebrate by going out to eat, shopping or spending money on entertainment. In 2022, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon reported a $386 million positive impact to Chicago’s local economy. While that is a mega event, even small-scale local running races see a significant economic impact. Here in the greater Indianapolis market, 5K series like RUN(317) are built on showcasing local communities and encouraging participants to linger afterward to enjoy restaurants and retail.
Increased Community Spirit
Running races are a great way to show off your community to a broader audience and build civic pride. Most races attract a healthy mix of local and regional participants. A great course can highlight some of the best views and experiences your community has to offer.
Running events also require a small army of volunteers to accomplish the vision. The Geist Half Race Series in Fishers utilizes an amazing 600 local volunteers between packet pick up and race day execution. Neighbors and local businesses on the course engage by cheering on runners, cowbells and all. Pulling the community together in such a big way fosters a true sense of local pride. You also never know who may be running through your community in one of these races. Many business and industry leaders use endurance running for mental and physical health benefits. Could you be showing off your community to the head of a company interested in relocating somewhere nearby?
Unique Branding and Engagement Opportunities
Businesses engaging with professionally organized races typically see strong returns on investment from their participation as sponsors. Sponsorship packages often include deliverables such as logo placement on a race shirt, mentions on social media, inclusion in participant communication, special offers or promotions for runners and physical signage at the start/finish line or on the course. Depending on the scale of event, high level sponsorships can lead to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of impression and exposure opportunities. This can generate a significant impact on a sponsor’s bottom line.
Fostering a Culture of Health
Hosting active lifestyle events like local running races can help inspire an entire community to make healthier choices. Watching friends and neighbors train for and achieve fitness milestones can have a contagious (in a good way!) effect on the rest of the community, encouraging other residents to get active and focus on personal health. To amplify this effect, it’s important to showcase local runners of all levels and backgrounds on social media and spend time telling their stories.
If done well, local running races can have a huge positive impact on the community. Local economies feel a boost, residents and businesses are filled with pride pulling together to make the event happen, sponsor partners get unique exposure, and an entire community can be inspired to be healthier.