Trail and distance running entered 2026 on a clear upward curve, but the numbers are scattered across industry reports, survey data, and race-results studies. This page pulls 38 of the most useful figures into one reference covering participation, year-over-year growth, runner demographics, gear adoption, and market size. Every statistic below is dated and attributed to its original source, from the SFIA Topline reports to RunRepeat, Strava, Running USA, and the American Trail Running Association, so you can cite the underlying study directly.
US trail running participation reached 16.1 million in 2024, up 1.3 million (8.8%) from 14.8 million the prior year, according to the SFIA 2025 Topline Report as reported by Trailwaves. Over the five years from 2019 to 2024, US trail running grew at roughly 8.0% per year, making it one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities.
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Participation: how many people run
Running sits inside a record-strong fitness picture. According to the SFIA 2024 Topline Participation Report, 247.1 million Americans were active in 2024, an 80% sports and fitness participation rate that the association described as a record high. Of those, 170 million qualified as core active participants under the SFIA definition.
Running and jogging specifically surpassed 50 million US participants in 2024 for the first time since 2020, per the same SFIA 2024 Topline Report. The Running USA 2024 Global Runner Survey, summarized by SGB Media, gathered more than 7,400 responses (94% from the United States) and found respondents ran an average of 11 events over the prior 12 months.
Trail running is the standout growth segment. As reported by Sports Destination Management citing the SFIA 2024 Topline Report, US trail running participation reached 14.8 million in 2023, up from 13.2 million in 2022. Trailwaves, citing the SFIA 2025 Topline Report, put 2024 participation at 16.1 million, an increase of 1.3 million runners.
Race events are large in number even if most are small. The RunSignup RaceTrends 2024 report analyzed more than 85,000 events and 10.8 million registrations, which it estimated at 45 to 50% of the US endurance market, and found that 87% of US races had fewer than 500 participants. The RunRepeat State of US Marathons 2025 study, for scale, drew on 10,482,628 race results across 6,352 events from 1984 to 2025, while the RunRepeat State of Running 2018 study analyzed 107.9 million results from more than 70,000 events across 193 nations.
Growth: the trend lines
Trail running's growth has been both fast and sustained. According to Sports Destination Management citing SFIA data, US trail running grew 12.3% year over year from 2022 to 2023 and 25.6% across the three years from 2021 to 2023. Trailwaves, citing the SFIA 2025 Topline Report, reported an 8.8% gain into 2024 and an annual growth rate of roughly 8.0% per year across the five years from 2019 to 2024.
Road and event running rebounded sharply as well. The Running USA and RunSignup RaceTrends 2024 report found per-race participation grew 8.2% on average per race, and Running USA's 2024 Top Races Report measured 15% average finisher growth across the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon top-100 races when comparing the second half of 2024 with the same period in 2023.
Global figures point the same direction. According to Road Race Management and Race Results Weekly, global road race finishers rose 17.1% in 2024, reaching 4,668,261 finishers across 600 races in 44 countries, while marathon finishers specifically rose 14.6% to 1,144,630 across 135 surveyed races. The same source recorded 269,817 finishers at the five largest marathons (New York, Paris, Berlin, London, and Chicago), an 11.4% increase.
Ultramarathons show the most dramatic long-run growth. The RunRepeat and IAU State of Ultra Running study reported that global ultramarathon participations rose 1,676% between 1996 and 2018, from 34,401 to 611,098 yearly participations, while the number of unique participants grew 1,267%, from 24,102 to 329,584. The RunSignup RaceTrends 2024 report also noted churn is low: only 3.9% of 2023 races with more than 500 participants did not return.
Who runs: demographics
Women now make up a majority of US race fields. According to the RunSignup RaceTrends 2024 report, 53% of US race participants in 2024 were female, and 16% were aged 18 to 29. The RunRepeat State of Running 2018 study found that women crossed the 50% line globally for the first time at 50.24% of all race runners, and made up nearly 60% of 5K participants.
Marathons tell a more nuanced story. The RunRepeat State of US Marathons 2025 study reported that the female share of US marathon participants was 41% in 2024, down from 47% in 2017, even as runners under 25 grew to 12.1% from 9.2% in 2016. The same study put the average US marathon finish time at 4:34, with men at 4:24 and women at 4:51.
A separate analysis by Brian Rock for Marathon Handbook, covering 251 US marathons and 403,078 finishers, found a median 2024 finish time of 4:25:33, with men at 4:14:00 and women at 4:41:00. The Running USA 2024 Global Runner Survey, via SGB Media, found the half marathon was the single most popular preferred distance, named by 35% of respondents.
Trail and ultra fields skew older and more experienced. The American Trail Running Association Spring 2024 Trail Runner Survey of more than 600 respondents reported a 59% male and 40% female split, with 51% of trail runners aged 40 to 59 and 37% aged 60 or older, and 72% having 10 or more years of experience. The RunRepeat and IAU State of Ultra Running study found women made up 23% of ultramarathon participants, up from 14% twenty-three years earlier.
Behavior: pace, goals, and consistency
Activity data from the world's largest running platform gives a window into typical runner behavior. According to the Strava Year in Sport 2024 report, the Strava community reached more than 135 million users across over 190 countries, and the median running pace logged on the platform in 2024 was 10:15 per mile.
Runners are also setting and meeting goals. The Strava Year in Sport 2024 press release reported that 72% of 2024 run goals on the platform were met. Consistency is rising in ultra distances too: the RunRepeat and IAU State of Ultra Running study found that 41% of ultrarunners now run more than one event per year, up from 14% in 1996.
Community participation is growing quickly. The Strava Year in Sport 2024 report noted that running club participation on the platform rose 59% globally in 2024, one of the clearest signals that group and club running is expanding alongside individual activity.
Gear and equipment adoption
Trail runners are well equipped, according to the American Trail Running Association Spring 2024 Trail Runner Survey of more than 600 respondents: 82% wore trail-specific shoes, 79% used a GPS watch, and 70% used a hydration vest. The same survey ranked the top trail shoe brands among respondents as Hoka at 20.2%, Altra at 19.5%, Saucony at 9.4%, and Brooks at 8.8%.
Hoka leading that brand split lines up with what runners reach for on the trail, where a high-cushion, aggressive-lug shoe like the Hoka Speedgoat 6 Trail Running Shoe is one of the most common picks at long-course start lines.
Carbon-plated footwear is moving fast into racing. According to the Strava Year in Sport 2024 report, 44% of marathon runners uploaded a marathon in carbon-plated shoes in 2024, a 14% increase from 2023, and the Strava Year in Sport 2024 press release reported the same 14% year-over-year rise in carbon-plated shoe use across all race distances.
Registration behavior has gone mobile as well. The RunSignup RaceTrends 2024 report found that 61% of race registration transactions were completed on mobile devices in 2024, reflecting how much of the runner journey now happens on a phone.
Market size and economics
The gear behind the sport is a large and growing market. According to Grand View Research, the global trail running shoes market was valued at USD 7.82 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 12.54 billion by 2030 at a 7.1% compound annual growth rate.
The broader athletic footwear category dwarfs that figure, though estimates vary by firm. Allied Market Research, via PR Newswire, valued global athletic footwear at USD 109.70 billion in 2020 and projected USD 165.00 billion by 2030 at a 4.2% CAGR. Global Market Insights estimated USD 130.1 billion in 2025, rising to USD 209.7 billion by 2035 at a 4.9% CAGR.
Apparel adds another large segment. According to Mordor Intelligence, the global running apparel market was valued at USD 106.23 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 161.77 billion by 2031 at a 7.53% CAGR. Taken together, these figures show footwear and apparel both on steady upward trajectories through the early 2030s.
Sources
Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), Topline Participation Report, 2024 edition. Covers total active Americans, participation rate, core participants, and running and jogging participation.
Sports Destination Management, Trail Running on a Pace of Continued Growth, 2023, citing the SFIA 2024 Topline Report. Covers US trail running participation and short-term growth rates.
Trailwaves, Is Trail Running Actually Growing, 2024, citing the SFIA 2025 Topline Report. Covers 2024 US trail running participation and the five-year annual growth rate.
Running USA and RunSignup, RaceTrends Report, 2024. Covers per-race participation growth, event and registration counts, race churn, gender and age shares, small-race share, and mobile registration share.
Running USA, 2024 Top Races Report. Covers top-100 race finisher growth across 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon.
Road Race Management and Race Results Weekly, By the Numbers global road running report, 2024. Covers global marathon finishers, global road race finisher growth, and the five largest marathons.
RunRepeat, State of US Marathons, 2025. Covers marathon results analyzed, average finish time, female participation share, and runners under 25.
Marathon Handbook, analysis by Brian Rock of 251 US marathons, 2024. Covers median US marathon finish times.
RunRepeat and IAU, State of Ultra Running, 2018. Covers global ultramarathon participation growth, unique participant growth, female share, and repeat participation.
RunRepeat, State of Running, 2018. Covers the global female share of race runners, results analyzed, and the 5K female share.
SGB Media, reporting the Running USA 2024 Global Runner Survey. Covers survey responses, average events per runner, and favorite race distance.
Strava, Year in Sport trend report, 2024 (GearJunkie summary and Strava press release). Covers community size, running club growth, median pace, carbon-plated shoe adoption, and run goals met.
American Trail Running Association (ATRA), Spring 2024 Trail Runner Survey. Covers respondent count, gear adoption, gender and age splits, experience levels, and top shoe brands.
Grand View Research, Trail Running Shoes Market report, 2023. Covers global trail running shoes market size and forecast.
Allied Market Research (via PR Newswire), Athletic Footwear Market, 2020. Covers global athletic footwear market size and 2030 forecast.
Global Market Insights, Athletic Footwear Market, 2025. Covers global athletic footwear market size and 2035 forecast.
Mordor Intelligence, Running Apparel Market, 2025. Covers global running apparel market size and 2031 forecast.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many people run trails in the United States?+
US trail running participation reached 16.1 million in 2024, up 1.3 million from 14.8 million in 2023, according to the SFIA 2025 Topline Report as reported by Trailwaves. That follows 14.8 million in 2023 and 13.2 million in 2022 reported by Sports Destination Management citing SFIA data.
Is trail running growing?+
Yes. According to Sports Destination Management citing SFIA data, US trail running grew 12.3% from 2022 to 2023 and 25.6% across 2021 to 2023. Trailwaves, citing the SFIA 2025 Topline Report, reported a further 8.8% gain into 2024 and roughly 8.0% annual growth over the five years from 2019 to 2024.
What percentage of runners are women?+
It depends on the discipline. The RunSignup RaceTrends 2024 report found 53% of US race participants were female in 2024. The RunRepeat State of US Marathons 2025 study put the female share of US marathoners at 41%, while the RunRepeat and IAU State of Ultra Running study found women made up 23% of ultramarathon participants.
What is the average marathon finish time?+
The RunRepeat State of US Marathons 2025 study reported an average 2024 US finish time of 4:34, with men at 4:24 and women at 4:51. A separate Marathon Handbook analysis of 251 US marathons by Brian Rock found a median 2024 finish time of 4:25:33, with men at 4:14:00 and women at 4:41:00.
How big is the trail running shoe market?+
According to Grand View Research, the global trail running shoes market was valued at USD 7.82 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 12.54 billion by 2030 at a 7.1% compound annual growth rate. The wider athletic footwear market was valued at roughly USD 130.1 billion in 2025 by Global Market Insights.
How fast has ultramarathon running grown?+
The RunRepeat and IAU State of Ultra Running study reported that global ultramarathon participations grew 1,676% between 1996 and 2018, from 34,401 to 611,098 yearly participations, while unique participants grew 1,267%, from 24,102 to 329,584. The share of ultrarunners running more than one event per year rose to 41% from 14% in 1996.