Is the Marathon Losing Popularity?
I’ve read news reports recently that the popularity of the marathon is starting to lose some of its fizz. Such news items say that interest is waning as runners start to check it off of their bucket list, or that maybe runners are realizing how hard it is to train for the 26.2 mile distance while juggling other demands, like working full time and raising kids. It’s true that for the first time since 2001, Running USA has recorded a decline in the total number of marathon finishers. The estimated number of U.S. marathon finishers fell from a record 518,000 in 2011 to 487,000 in 2012 (a 6% decrease).
But let’s not be too fast to jump to conclusions. After all, the world’s largest marathon, the sold-out ING New York City Marathon, was cancelled last year and would have added as many as 47,000 finishers to the numbers. If the New York City Marathon had been held, overall marathon finisher totals would have exceeded the previous year’s numbers. And numbers will likely be skewed this year as well, since approximately 5,000 runners at the Boston Marathon were stopped before they could finish.
In the Rocky Mountains, running and marathoning seem to be as popular as ever. In Colorado alone, there are 23 marathons on the calendar for this year. There are major events playing host to thousands of endurance athletes, like the Sports Authority Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Marathon and the Kaiser Permanente Colorado Colfax Marathon. And there are quaint local events, like the Mt. Sneffels Marathon in Ouray and the Aspen Backcountry Marathon. It’s hard to even get a spot in the most popular marathons. The Pikes Peak Marathon sold out its 800 slots in just three hours and 20 minutes. The Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins is held in May, but sells out six months in advance.
Demand also remains strong for the nation’s premiere marathons. The registration website for the Chicago Marathon crashed in February because so many runners were trying to get in. In March, the Marine Corps Marathon sold out in a record two hours and 27 minutes, the fastest a major marathon field has ever sold out.
But among many other major marathons, growth has slowed. Running USA reports there was a 1.6% increase in finishers from the same 388 U.S. marathons for 2011 and 2012 (464,122 vs. 471,595) and just a 1% increase from 2010 to 2011. That’s down from a historic high of 2.5% growth per year.
I think that it’s just too early to tell if interest in marathoning is declining.
Derek Griffiths