Can you guess how much race participation grew the first half of 2026? Click here to find out.

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👟 On's co-CEO credits the brand's surge to innovation and a health-obsessed "movement class" of consumers, keeping running at its core even as it expands into sports like tennis.

🦃 The longtime director of an upstate New York Thanksgiving road race has been charged with grand larceny for allegedly pocketing more than $114,000 in race funds.

📊 A study of more than 870,000 Berlin Marathon finishes found that men are far likelier to hit the wall than women, with sub-three-hour men about six times more prone to fading in the second half.

Fuel Goods placed second among eight finalists at the Outside Ignite startup pitch competition, taking home a prize valued at $50,000. The company used the stage to debut a personalized fueling platform that turns athlete training data into specific product recommendations. Fuel Goods

The midyear numbers for 2026 are in, showing an impressive continuation of the multi-year growth streak for races. On average, races grew 5.9%, and, for the first time since COVID, large races grew the most (8.2%).

Midyear Data Highlights:

Races must capture the running enthusiasm now, while participants are actively looking for events. Review all the latest numbers to evaluate how your race compares to the national trends. Then, keep pushing your marketing efforts, get creative with your revenue streams, and ensure the best race day experience to continue growing into 2027. 

Jess McClain won the women's 12K in 39:17 and Dylan Marx took the men's 12K in 37:03 at the 53rd annual Crown City Classic on July 4 in Coronado. The Independence Day race drew nearly 3,000 runners marking the nation's 250th birthday. Easy Day Sports

Let's Do This has launched Experience Agent, an AI tool that autonomously handles endurance event organizers' participant queries, from entry-status lookups and booking resends to deferrals and transfers. In beta testing it resolved 84% of queries and earned a 4.7 out of 5 customer satisfaction score. Let's Do This

Valley Toyota Dealers has renewed its sponsorship of the Phoenix Marathon on December 12, 2026 and the Mesa Marathon on February 13, 2027, returning as Presenting Sponsor of the Community Give Back Program and Official Vehicle partner. The partnership has contributed to more than $80,000 in community donations. Brooksee

Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau won the 65th Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race on June 27 in 59:52, becoming the first sub-one-hour finisher since 2017. The performance came just six months after double knee surgery, aided by cross-training on an ElliptiGO stand-up elliptical bike. ElliptiGO

Spartan has named St. Luke's University Health Network the Official and Exclusive Health System and Hospital Provider of the 2026 Poconos Spartan Race, set for July 11 to 12 at Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton, PA. The deal marks the fifth consecutive year of the partnership. Spartan

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