I was on a call with a customer earlier this week and we were discussing the challenge of attracting younger (18-29) runners to events. This is a common challenge, so I thought I’d pass along some information/tips:

First, the challenge:

Participation among runners 18-29 fell during COVID
Those numbers have started to rebound some (good news for sure)- in 2023, they made up 15% of total registrants (still about 2% lower than pre-COVID)

How can we better reach younger runners?

Video- Your social media strategy should include video (regardless of platform)
Instagram- Try doing short videos like course previews, interviews with runners (past or current), show off the medal or other swag. These should be short (15-45 seconds)!
YouTube shorts- These are short form videos on YouTube. You could do things like training tips, race recaps, and some of the same things mentioned above with Instagram.
Tik Tok- 34% of Tik Tok’s user base is in the 18-24 age range, so this is a great way to get in front of younger runners! Tik Tok videos should be short (less than 1 minute), posted on a regular basis (stick to a schedule), and more organic/less polished looking.

These are just a few quick tips to try in marketing your event to younger runners. You don’t have to do them all… just pick one and give it a shot.

By the way, Run the East does offer marketing services, including social media, so if you’d like help with your social media strategy, simply reply to this email or Book a Call!

Attracting younger runners to your race