The majority of millennials who compete in running events do so because they want to improve and maintain their physical health, and more than one-quarter of all men and women born between 1980 and 2000 say they participate because they like running in a new environment or a unique venue.
These are among the findings from the second part of an epic Millennial Running Study released Sept. 14 that can help event directors better understand the attitudes and behaviors of millennial runners. The study was commissioned by Running USA and RacePartner.
Phase II of the Millennial Running Study took a deeper look at Phase I findings to identify trends by gender and runner type. According to the study’s website, the new update includes additional information to further explain and support elements of millennial runners’ health and fitness, running experience and philanthropy — with a focus on their interest and participation in event volunteerism.
“Our research team was curious to understand whether fitness-conscious millennials have the same philanthropic desires as other millennials,” said Derrick Feldmann, president of Achieve, the cause-focused research and marketing agency that performed the first-of-its-kind study. “While philanthropy wasn’t the primary reason millennial runners participated in events, volunteering presents another opportunity for causes and charities to engage millennial runners.”
Additionally, Phase II of the report answers such questions as:
- How can event directors harness the Millennial Running Study data to change the way they create and execute events in the future?
- How will the millennial generation redefine the running industry?
- Do causes have an impact on a millennial runner’s decision to participate in an event?
- How are the data trends broken down by gender and runner type?
“The first release of the study showed that a lot of event directors do not know how to communicate with millennial runners,” said Rich Harshbarger, chief executive officer of Running USA. “This research will help them tailor their business approaches and marketing plans so they can improve their recruitment of millennial participants.”
Download both reports for free.
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