2017 Road RunninG. Survey Report

Transcription

1 2017 Road RunninG Survey Report

2 2017 Road RunninG Survey Report Contents Introduction and Methodology 3 Runner Profile 4 Runner Demographics 4 Training and Running Habits 6 Injuries 11 Racing Habits 15 Travel Habits 18 Running Shoes and Gear 19 Conclusions 21 2

3 Introduction and Methodology Introduction Athletics Canada (AC) is the national governing body for athletics, cross-country, road running, and road racing. Through collective leadership AC drives growth in participation, and enables improved performance by positive sport experience. We provide leadership and support nationally for event organizers through an annual Race Director s Summits, course certification, rankings and elite athlete support at national and international championships. In 2015, a working group consisting of representatives from Canadian road races and provincial branches of Athletics Canada and AC staff, was convened to establish national standards for road race organization. In order to validate the decisions made by this working group, the 2016 Athletics Canada Road Running Survey was distributed to runners across Canada. The primary purpose was to ask participants in Canadian road running events how they ranked various elements of race organization. The secondary goal was to provide feedback to race organizers on what their customers the runners considered important, as well as information on this demographic and their running habits. In 2017 we continued this work, surveying runners on some of the same questions, as well as different ones. As of 2017 the survey report will be freely available to all members of the road running community. Methodology In the fall of 2016, Athletics Canada distributed an electronic version of the survey to a convenience sample of Canadian runners. The survey remained open until January, The survey was distributed through social media (Athletics Canada s Facebook and Twitter accounts and newsletter), by Athletics Canada s provincial branches, Canadian Running Magazine, and by a selected number of large Canadian road race producers (Army Run, Ottawa Race Weekend, Legs for Literacy, Fredericton Marathon, Vancouver Sun Run, Victoria Marathon, Calgary Marathon, Yorkville 5k, and Canada Running Series). The producers who distributed the survey were selected based on size and their willingness to distribute the survey. The results included a small number of runners (0.5%) from outside Canada. The survey was comprised of 51 questions about demographics, running habits and road running standards. The approximate time to complete the survey was 25 minutes. Each organization that participated in the survey received the direct link to the online survey as well as the text for recruiting participants. They were asked to send the standardized recruiting text and link in an e-newsletter and/or via a targeted . Those who received the link to the survey had the option to participate. Responses to the survey were stored immediately and managed and accessed only by Athletics Canada staff. A total of 1111 runners responded to the online survey. 77% of the surveys were fully completed. Quantitative data is described via frequencies and descriptive statistics in an effort to provide a basic understanding of the data. When necessary, data was segmented to describe various groups within the sample for a deeper level of understanding. The purpose of this report is to provide a picture of the road running community in Canada. Through this information, we can identify areas of growth, and areas for recognition. 3

4 Runner Profile The typical Canadian runner is a white female, around 40 years old, who runs alone in the morning, training about 40k/week to run a 24:40 5k, or equivalent 10k or half-marathon, in a local race she knows well that s chip-timed. She probably started running some time in the last decade. There are a lot of different reasons she may have started running and a lot of different reasons still that she continues. She probably wears Asics, Saucony or New Balance, and a watch, hat and sunglasses. She reads Canadian Running Magazine and Runner s World. She s not concerned about charity, t-shirts or medals. She might get blisters or a knee injury, but she s just as likely not to be injured. Runner Demographics Gender and Age: Age was based on ten-year age groups, as is common in most road races Age Male Female Total % U20 22 (4.1%) 14 (2.9%) (10%) 52 (10.7%) (19.9%) 135 (27.9%) (26.6%) 146 (30.2%) (24.4%) 104 (21.5%) (12.1%) 30 (6.2%) (3%) 3 (0.6%) Total In general there is about a 50/50 split between men and women. It is perhaps due to an over representation of marathon races that the men out-number the women in this survey. Finisher statistics show about a 55/45 split in favour of women. As with last year s survey, the most common age-category is 40-49, with the bulk of runners (75%) found between ages One respondent identified as transgender. Because of that small (unique) sample size, this person s responses have not been included in many of the charts as the survey is meant to be anonymous. Showing their answers may put at risk their privacy. 4

5 Ethnicity Ethnic Group Total % White/Caucasian Asian Jewish Aboriginal Black/African-Canadian Hispanic Arab Not applicable Other Total Many respondents questioned why we asked this question, and wondered why it was important. The results show that road running in Canada is not particularly diverse. The proportion of white/ Caucasian in the general Canadian population is around 80%, so road races are less diverse than Canada as a whole. More concerning is that a large number of respondents are from urban centres, where the general population is more diverse (70% of those identifying as visible minorities live in Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal, the three largest urban areas). This represents an opportunity for the road running community. Running is a simple, accessible sport. Why should it not appeal more to visible minorities? What can we do to encourage more diversity and to be more welcoming to anyone who wants to run? The question is open. Branch Membership Yes No Not Sure 177 (17.3%) 819 (80.0%) 28 (2.7%) The percentage of runners who are members of their provincial branch is much less than those who are not. Awareness of the governing bodies is quite low in the running community. 5

6 Training and Running Habits In 2017, we asked questions about runners training habits. This larger picture can help runners improve, by knowing the larger trends of what kinds of training relate to which types of performances. Level/Performance: We asked runners to self-identify as elite, competitive or recreational Level/Performance Elite Competitive Recreational Total Under 13:40 3 (8.6%) 1 (0.2%) 0 4 (0.4%) 13:41-14:15 2(5.7%) 0 1 (0.3%) 3 (0.3%) 14:16-15:30 10 (28.6%) 2 (0.4%) 0 12 (1.3%) 15:31-16:55 7 (20%) 24 (4.9%) 2 (0.5%) 33 (3.6%) 16:56-18:30 6 (17.1%) 44 (9%) 2 (0.5%) 52 (5.7%) 18:31-20:00 2 (5.7%) 61 (12.4%) 5 (1.3%) 68 (7.5%) 20:01-21:30 1 (2.9%) 70 (14.3%) 8 (2.2%) 79 (8.8%) 21:31-23:00 1 (2.9%) 74 (15.1%) 24 (6.5%) 99 (11.0%) 23:01-24:40 1 (2.9%) 53 (10.8%) 38 (10.2%) 92 (10.2%) 24:41-27: (12.6%) 86 (23.1%) 148(16.5%) 27:46-30: (7.9%) 79 (21.2%) 118(13.1%) 30: (3.1%) 103 (27.7%) 118(13.1%) Have not run 5k in last 12 months 2 (5.7%) 46 (9.4%) 24 (6.5%) 72 (8.0%) This table looks at how people self-assessed and what their most recent 5k race performance was. This table can be read as follows: 28.6% of elite runners (10 individuals) had 5k performances between 14:16 and 15:30 in the last two years. Elite runners made up 4% (35 individual runners) of the total sample. We see a clearly defined elite level at around 17min, while the competitive group is defined between 21:31 and 23:00, while recreational runners at around 27:45. The purpose of this is not to label runners, but to understand how runners perceive themselves. There are some who run under 20min and consider themselves recreational, and others who run in the mid-20s and call themselves elite. We should be aware of this when labelling programs or events, and perhaps, if it is necessary to create categories based on performance, to use actual results, rather than potentially subjective category names. 6

7 Volume/Level: How much running per week did runners do based on their self-assessed category Weekly Volume/Level Elite Competitive Recreational Total (899) 100km+ 15 (42.9%) 16 (3.3%) 4 (1.1%) 35 (3.8%) 90-99km 4 (11.4%) 14 (2.9%) 1 (0.3%) 19 (2.1%) 80-89km 6 (17.1%) 19 (3.9%) 7 (1.9%) 32 (3.5%) 70-79km 1 (2.9%) 38 (7.7%) 6 (1.6%) 45 (5.0%) 60-69km 2 (5.7%) 48 (9.8%) 9 (2.4%) 59 (6.5%) 50-59km 0 72 (14.6%) 26 (7%) 98 (10.9%) 40-49km 4 (11.4%) 76 (15.5%) 46 (12.4%) 126 (14.0%) 30-39km 2 (5.7%) 99 (20.1%) 71 (19.1%) 172 (19.1%) 20-29km 0 75 (15.2%) 118 (31.7%) 193 (21.4%) less than 20k 1 (2.9%) 35 (7.1%) 84 (22.6%) 120 (13.3%) Runners who consider themselves elite generally run over 80k/week. Competitive runners tend to be between 30k and 60k/week. Recreational runners rarely run more than 50k/week. There is certainly some overlap, but the trend is that elite runners run more. This table considers how athletes perceive themselves, however, the next table looks at the performance itself vs the weekly training volume. Performance/Volume: How fast do runners perform over 5k for various ranges of weekly volume Performance/Volume 80k+/Week 50-79k/Week 0-49k/Week Under 13:40 3 (3.4%) 1 (0.5%) 0 13:41-14:15 2 (2.3%) 1 (0.5%) 0 14:16-15:30 9 (10.1%) 2 (1.0%) 1 (0.2%) 15:31-16:55 14 (15.7%) 11 (5.4%) 9 (1.4%) 16:56-18:30 16 (18%) 22(10.7%) 15 (2.4%) 18:31-20:00 7 (7.9%) 39 (19%) 25 (4.0%) 20:01-21:30 5 (5.6%) 31 (15.1%) 43 (6.8%) 21:31-23:00 7 (7.9%) 31 (15.1%) 62 (9.9%) 23:01-24:40 6 (6.7%) 16 (7.8%) 72 (11.5%) 24:41-27:45 5 (5.6%) 20 (9.8%) 123 (19.6%) 27:46-30:45 2 (2.3%) 5 (2.4%) 111 (17.7%) 30:46+ 2 (2.3%) 4 (2.0%) 122 (19.4%) Have not run 5k in last 12 months 11 (12.4%) 22 (10.7%) 46 (7.3%) Total (1029) 186 (18.1%) 214 (20.7%) 629 (61.1%) Of those who ran 80k/week 31.5% ran faster than 16:55, while only 7.4% of those who ran 50-79k/ week were able to run faster than 16:55. Only one person training on less than 50k/week was able to run faster than 15: % of those who ran between 50k and 79k/week ran between 20:01 and 23:00 for 5k. 56.4% of those who ran less than 50k/week ran 24:41 or slower for 5k. From this we can remark that if you want to run faster, you should probably run more. Training volume is only one factor in successful performance, but we can see here that it could be at least a dominant, if not the primary factor, though without examining others we can t know for sure. 7

8 Training Types/Performance: What kinds of training do runners do? Training Types/ Performance Easy Runs Long Runs (> 1 hour) Hill Training Fartlek Sub-15:30 16 (84.2%) 15 (79.0%) 10 (52.6%) 11 (57.9%) 15:30-21: (89.5%) 220 (92.8%) 164 (69.2%) 106 (44.7%) 21:30 and over 517 (87.9%) 472 (80.3%) 323 (54.9%) 139 (23.6%) Total (includes runners who did not race 5k) 806 (87.0%) 775 (83.7%) 546 (59.0%) 275 (29.7%) Training Types/ Performance Pace Workouts (Intervals or Speed Work) Tempo Runs Pickups Recovery Runs None of the Above Sub-15:30 13 (68.4%) 15 (79.0%) 6 (31.6%) 12 (63.2%) 0 15:30-21: (83.5%) 186 (78.5%) 71 (30.0%) 149 (62.9%) 1 (0.4%) 21:30 and over 326 (55.4%) 293 (49.8%) 51 (8.7%) 160 (27.2%) 12 (2.0%) Total (includes runners who did not race 5k) 589 (63.6%) 544 (58.8%) 143 (15.4%) 358 (38.7%) 17 (1.8%) Some other factors that go into training are listed above. We can see that easy running dominates as the primary mode of training, likely not only because is it the most effective, but also the most accessible form of training. The main difference between runners faster than 21:30 and those slower can be found in tempo runs and recovery runs. Tempo runs are sub-maximal, continuous runs, at or around marathon or half-marathon pace. Recovery runs (identified as such in contrast to easy runs) are also emphasised more by the faster group. Runners faster than 15:30 were less likely to include speed work than slower runners, though they were more likely than those slower than 21:30 to include pick-ups. Faster runners tend to run more, run more sub-maximally, and fewer interval sessions. Whether this is a matter of the small sample of faster runners, or a practice that in fact contributes to their performances is not clear. Other surveys of elite training methods have shown similar results. But runners looking to improve might do well to incorporate more mileage, tempo runs and strides. 8

9 Training Info/Performance: Where do runners get their training info? Training Info / Performance Online articles Other Runners Online Training Plans Books Sub-15:30 6 (31.6%) 4 (21.1%) 4 (21.1%) 5 (26.3%) 15:30-21: (64.6%) 135 (57.0%) 86 (36.3%) 117 (49.4%) 21:30 and over 391 (66.5%) 312 (53.1%) 278 (47.3%) 257 (43.7%) Total (includes runners who did not race 5k) 659 (64.%) 542 (52.9%) 439 (42.9%) 447 (43.7%) Training Info / Onsite Coach Online Coach Other Performance Sub-15:30 9 (47.4%) 5 (26.3%) 3 (15.8%) 15:30-21:30 84 (35.4%) 30 (12.7%) 27 (11.4%) 21:30 and over 87 (14.8%) 43 (7.3%) 63 (10.7%) Total (includes runners who did not race 5k) 217 (21.2%) 96 (9.4%) 120 (11.7%) We asked runners where they get their information for training. It is clear that online articles are most popular, except for with the fastest group, who rely the most on an onsite coach. The habits of elite runners here could be useful to all runners, as having someone to monitor your progress and adapt a training plan to you as you move through it could lead to better performance. For those who did rely on online and published training articles, Canadian Running Magazine was the most read publication, picked up by over 50% of runners in the survey. Runner s World was second at 42%, with no other publications over 25%. Online, the Runner s World website edged out Canadian Running by a 35% to 29% margin. Again, no other websites were visited by more than 20% of runners in the survey. There are many running websites out there, and probably each serves a niche, with the exception of the big two mentioned here, who cast the widest net and serve the greatest audience. The cliché goes that there is a lot of information out there, but not all of it is valuable. It s best to go with a reliable, well-known source. 9

10 Coaching/Performance Coaching/Performance Yes No Self-Coached Sub-15:30 10 (52.6%) 4 (21.1%) 5 (26.3%) 15:30-21:30 93 (39.2%) 85 (35.9%) 59 (24.9%) 21:30 and over 96 (16.3%) 388 (66.0%) 104 (17.7%) Total (includes runners who did not race 5k) 245 (23.9%) 572 (55.9%) 207 (20.2%) We asked runners if they had a coach or not, and again, overwhelmingly, the faster the runner, the more likely they were to have a coach. This may be biased against beginners who have not had the opportunity to work with a coach, or who have no interest in it, but this does make one consider the positive impact coaching can have. Times to Run/Gender: We next looked at runner s habits with respect to when they run and with whom Times to Run/Gender Early AM Early Evening Mid-Morning Mid-Afternoon Male 258 (54.0%) 196 (41.0%) 125 (26.2%) 98 (20.5%) Female 241 (54.0%) 206 (46.2%) 150 (33.6%) 51 (11.4%) Trans 1 1 Total 499 (54.0%) 402 (43.5%) 276 (29.8%) 150 (16.2%) Times to Run/Gender Noon Early Afternoon Late Evening No Preference Male 78 (16.3%) 68 (14.2%) 49 (10.3%) 33 (6.9%) Female 46 (10.3%) 54 (12.1%) 22 (4.9%) 28 (6.3%) Trans 1 1 Total 125 (13.5%) 123 (13.3%) 71 (7.7%) 61 (6.6%) Runners are early birds. Surprisingly, there was not even a spike at the noon hour, but simply a drop off as the day went on, with a boost to 43% in early evening. Most people prefer to get their runs out of the way in the morning, before starting their day. There was not much difference between men and women here, with women slightly more likely to run mid-morning (33% to 26%) vs men slightly more likely to run at noon (16% to 10%). 10

11 Runs with/gender: Who do Runners Run With? Runs with/gender By Myself With One Other In a Group No Preference Male 268 (56.1%) 36 (7.5%) 83 (17.4%) 91 (19.0%) Female 235 (52.7%) 67 (15.0%) 72 (16.1%) 72 (16.1%) Trans 1 Total 504 (54.5%) 103 (11.1%) 155 (16.8%) 163 (17.6%) Runners are loners. Most runners tend to run by themselves, or with one other training partner. This is on the one hand, not particularly surprising, given the nature of running, and how it can be used as meditation or alone time, but given the social media excitement for crews and run groups, it could be seen as a surprise. A likely scenario is that there are many more runners out there, just doing their thing, and not participating in group runs or social activities, until it comes to race day. Since the bulk of runs are slow, easy runs, it may be that runners only get together for the faster work. It may also be a case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and we hear more about the social groups who post their exploits on social media, and assume they are in the majority. The silent majority of runners are solo. Injuries In this next section, we look at running injuries. Are there some injuries that are more common than others? More common for men than for women? Does the surface one runs on affect injuries? An injury is defined as missing any time from running in the last 12 months. Injuries/Gender Injuries/Gender Blisters None Knee Iliotibial Band Syndrome Male 118 (24.7%) 109 (22.8%) 92 (19.3%) 67 (14.0%) Female 113 (25.4%) 105 (23.6%) 76 (17.1%) 62 (13.9%) Total 232 (25.1%) 214 (23.2%) 168 (18.2%) 129 (14.0%) Injuries/Gender Hamstring Hips Low Back Plantar Fasciitis Foot Male 59 (12.3%) 51 (10.7%) 62 (13.0%) 56 (11.7) 60 (12.6%) Female 59 (13.3%) 71 (16.0%) 52 (11.7%) 53 (11.9%) 63 (14.2%) Total 118 (12.8%) 122 (13.2%) 115 (12.5%) 109 (11.8%) 123 (13.3%) Injuries/Gender Ankle Achilles Tendon Calf Shin Splints Overtraining Male 55 (11.5%) 71 (14.9%) 61 (12.8%) 46 (9.6%) 46 (9.6%) Female 43 (9.7%) 34 (7.6%) 49 (11.0%) 53 (11.9%) 31 (7.0%) Total 98 (10.6%) 105 (11.4%) 110 (11.9%) 99 (10.7%) 77 (8.3%) 11

12 Injuries/Gender Other Depression Stress Fracture Quadriceps Male 30 (6.3%) 16 (3.4%) 12 (2.5%) 14 (2.9%) Female 33 (7.4%) 20 (4.5%) 6 (1.4%) 7 (1.6%) Total 63 (6.8%) 36 (3.9%) 18 (2.0%) 21 (2.3%) We asked runners about their injuries. The good news is that just under a quarter of runners reported not being injured at all. That said, most runners did report an injury of some kind. The most common injury was blisters (25%) with knee injuries (18%) in second place. There were two injuries that were associated much more with one gender than the other: hip injuries were more prominent in women (16% vs 10% for men), while Achilles tendon injuries were more common for men (15% vs 7.6% for women). Surfaces/Gender Surfaces/Gender Urban Road Paved Path Dirt trail Rural Road Park Male 287 (60.0%) 282 (59.0%) 259 (54.2%) 256 (53.6%) 187 (39.1%) Female 275 (61.7%) 301 (76.5%) 235 (52.7%) 225 (50.5%) 180 (40.4%) Total 562 (60.8%) 584 (63.1%) 495 (53.5%) 482 (52.1%) 368 (39.8%) Surfaces/Gender Outdoor Track In the Mountains Grass Wood chips Treadmill at Gym Male 145 (30.3%) 99 (20.7%) 84 (17.6%) 69 (14.4%) 60 (12.6%) Female 100 (22.4%) 63 (14.1%) 47 (10.5%) 49 (11.0%) 68 (15.3%) Total 246 (26.6%) 162 (17.5%) 131 (14.2%) 118 (12.8%) 128 (13.8%) Surfaces/Gender Indoor Track Treadmill at Home On the Beach Other Male 59 (12.3%) 53 (11.1%) 28 (5.9%) 14 (2.9%) Female 43 (9.6%) 62 (13.9%) 25 (5.6%) 6 (1.4%) Total 102 (11.0%) 115 (12.4%) 53 (5.7%) 20 (2.2%) Next, we looked at the surfaces runners ran on. There was an expected preference for roads and trails, with men more likely to run on tracks (indoor 12% vs 9% and outdoor 30% vs 22%), grass (17% vs 10%) and in the mountains (21% vs 14%) than women. Women were much more likely to run on paved paths (76% vs 59%). It s possible this could be a safety issue. Only about 6% of runners run on the beach, which sounds like fun until you actually try it. About 14% of runners choose the treadmill, which is less than might be expected, but good for the mental well-being of those runners. 12

13 Surfaces/Gender Injuries/Surfaces Blisters None Knee Iliotibial Band Syndrome Soft surfaces (On the beach, In the mountains, Dirt Trail, Grass, Wood chips, Park) 171 (25.4%) 158 (23.5%) 120 (17.8%) 92 (13.7%) Hard surfaces (Urban Road, Paved Path, Rural Road, Treadmill, tracks) 226 (25.4%) 204 (23.0%) 162 (18.2%) 123 (13.8%) Injuries/Surfaces Hamstring Hips Low Back Plantar Foot Fasciitis Soft surfaces (On the beach, 87 (12.9%) 86 (12.8) 85 (12.6%) 82 (12.2%) 82 (12.2%) In the mountains, Dirt Trail, Grass, Wood chips, Park) Hard surfaces (Urban Road, Paved Path, Rural Road, Treadmill, tracks) 111 (12.5%) 120 (13.5%) 110 (12.4%) 104 (11.7%) 115 (12.9%) Injuries/Surfaces Ankle Achilles Calf Shin Splints Overtraining Tendon Soft surfaces (On the beach, 80 (11.9%) 79 (11.7%) 75 (11.1%) 75 (11.1%) 55 (8.2%) In the mountains, Dirt Trail, Grass, Wood chips, Park) Hard surfaces (Urban Road, Paved Path, Rural Road, Treadmill, tracks) 95 (10.7%) 104 (11.7%) 102 (11.5%) 97 (10.9%) 74 (8.3%) Injuries/Surfaces Soft surfaces (On the beach, In the mountains, Dirt Trail, Grass, Wood chips, Park) Hard surfaces (Urban Road, Paved Path, Rural Road, Treadmill, tracks) Stress Quadriceps Other Depression Fracture 15 (2.2%) 14 (2.1%) 48 (7.1%) 28 (4.2%) 18 (2.0%) 20 (2.3%) 56 (6.3%) 35 (3.9%) Finally, we cross-referenced the surface runners tended to run on most, grouped by soft or hard and examined injury rates accordingly. There were NO injuries that were significantly more prevalent in one group or the other. (Note that the absolute numbers of runners with various injuries was higher among the hard surfaces group, but this is because more runners in general run on hard surfaces. The percentages remain about the same.) This flies against common wisdom that soft surfaces are safer for runners. Of course, soft surfaces are more pleasant, so that s one point in their favour. Still, runners can worry less about what surface they run on, at least when it comes to these self-reported injury rates. 13

14 Motivation to Start to Run/Gender Motivation to Start to Run/ Gender For Exercise Because I Enjoy it To Enter a Race Needed a New Challenge Weight Concerns Family/Friend Encouragement Male 91 (19.0%) 51 (10.7%) 53 (11.1%) 33 (6.9%) 47 (9.8%) 33 (6.9%) Female 97 (21.7%) 45 (10.1%) 37 (8.3%) 54 (12.1%) 33 (7.4%) 34 (7.6%) Total 188 (20.3%) 96 (10.4%) 90 (9.7%) 87 (9.4%) 80 (8.6%) 67 (7.2%) Motivation to Start to Run/ Gender To Relieve Stress Competed in School and Never Stopped To Get in Shape for Another Sport Health Concerns Besides Weight To Prepare for a Charity Fundraising Event To Quit Smoking Male 25 (5.2%) 34 (7.1%) 29 (6.1%) 29 (6.1%) 7 (1.5%) 10 (2.1%) Female 38 (8.5%) 23 (5.2%) 14 (3.1%) 14 (31.%) 23 (5.2%) 5 (1.1%) Total 63 (6.8%) 57 (6.2%) 43 (4.6%) 43 (4.6%) 30 (3.2%) 15 (1.6%) Motivation to Start to Run/ Gender Required by Job Watching the Olympics To Exercise Dog Spiritual/ Meditative A Magazine or Newspaper Article Male 5 (1.0%) 4 (.08%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) Female 3 (0.7%) 0 3 (0.7%) 3 (0.7%) 0 Total 8 (0.9%) 4 (0.4%) 4 (0.4%) 4 (0.4%) 1 (0.1%) Why do people start to run? There are many reasons, though main reason seems to be exercise, cited by 20% of runners. After that, enjoyment, entering a race, and finding a new challenge are all at about 10% each. Weight concerns are next at 8.6%; this reason is more prevalent in men than women. There are a wide variety of reasons cited. The most prominent write-in vote was that doing a triathlon got them into running. What we can take from this is that people s reasons for running can vary widely, and so in order to encourage people to run, we have to cast a wide net of messages, and not assume everyone is in it for the same reasons. Motivation to Continue to Run/Gender Staying Healthy Achieving a Goal Staying in Shape Meeting a Personal Challenge Improving my State of Mind Improving Speed or Endurance Male 84 (17.6%) 79 (16.5%) 28 (5.9%) 17 (3.6%) 42 (8.8%) Female 83 (18.6%) 60 (13.5%) 56 (12.6%) 40 (9.0%) 47 (10.5%) 21 (4.7%) Total 188 (20.3%) 144 (15.6%) 135 (14.6%) 68 (7.4%) 65 (7.0%) 63 (6.8%) 14

15 Motivation to Continue to Run/ Gender Relieving Stress Having Fun Looking at why runners continue to run reveals three major reasons, staying healthy, achieving a goal and staying in shape. That said, there remain a wide variety of reasons people continue to run, as was the case with why they started. Of interest: overall, the same (low) percentage (3.8%) of runners cite social reasons as do cite competitive reasons. Race organisers and other industry members would be wise to remember this and not to discount any reason why runners run. Racing Habits In this section we look at racing habits. Controlling my Weight When Did Runners Do Their First Road Race? Socializing with Friends/ Family/Other Participants Competing Against Others Being by Myself for Awhile Getting into the Natural Environment Male 18 (3.8%) 24 (5.0%) 12 (2.5%) 18 (3.8%) 28 (5.9%) 7 (1.5%) 9 (1.9%) Female 33 (7.4%) 22 (4.9%) 24 (5.4%) 17 (3.8%) 6 (1.3%) 13 (2.9%) 10 (2.2%) Total 51 (5.5%) 46 (5.0%) 36 (3.9%) 35 (3.8%) 34 (3.8%) 20 (2.2%) 19 (2.1%) Year of First Race/Gender 2010s (so far) Male (478) 171 (35.7%) 14 (2.9%) 23 (4.8%) 23 (4.8%) 36 (7.5%) 31 (6.5%) 21 (4.4%) 23 (4.8%) Female (446) 217 (48.6%) 31(7.0%) 31(7.0%) 37 (8.3%) 38 (8.5%) 27 (6.1%) 30 (6.7%) 23 (5.2%) Total (925) 388 (41.9%) 45 (4.9%) 54 (5.8%) 60 (6.5%) 74 (8.0%) 58 (6.3%) 51 (5.5%) 46 (5.0%) Year of First Race/Gender 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s Pre-1960 Male 131 (27.4%) 118 (24.6%) 128 (26.7%) 38 (7.9%) 3 (0.1%) 5 (0.1%) Female 141 (31.6%) 103 (23.0%) 66 (14.1%) 8 (1.7%) 1 (0.1%) 0 Total 273 (29.5%) 203 (21.9%) 221 (23.8%) 46 (5.0%) 5 (0.5%) 5 (0.5%) It is clear the last decade has seen an increase in participation in races. The peak of runners joining the running community seems to be in It s important to distinguish however between overall participation and when runners ran their first race. What we can glean from this is that a large percentage of runners today have only recently joined our ranks: 41.9% of runners in races started as recently as The other decades of 2000s, 90s and 80s are equally represented here. There are not many runners left who started in the 70s or earlier. Only in the 2000s did more women start than men. It might be important for race organizers who may have joined the community in the 70s or even 80s and 90s to understand that the bulk of their clients are relatively new to the scene. 15

16 What Do Runners Look for in a Running Event? Factors/Gender Location is Convenient Date the Event is Held It's a Distance I Prefer Reputation of Events or Organisers Chip Timed Male 306 (64.8%) 299 (63.4%) 274 (58.1%) 242 (51.3%) 243 (51.5%) Female 291 (66.1%) 256 (58.2%) 257 (58.4%) 208 (47.3%) 204 (46.4%) Total 598 (65.5%) 556 (60.9%) 532 (58.3%) 451 (49.4%) 448 (49.1%) The location, date and distance of the event were, as with last year s survey, rated as the most important factors runners considered when making a decision about which race to run. The race being chip timed and the reputation of the organisers were also highly rated again. This indicates again that Canadians are focused on the basics and that swag and other frills are not likely to sway large numbers of runners to a race. Factors/Gender Scenic Course It Sounds Fun Cost My Friends are Doing it Medal or Other Memento for Finishers Male 213 (45.1%) 169 (35.8%) 199 (42.2%) 151 (32.0%) 125 (26.5%) Female 204 (46.4%) 220 (50.0%) 173 (39.3%) 181 (41.1%) 160 (36.4%) Total 418 (45.8%) 389 (42.6%) 373 (40.9%) 332 (36.4%) 286 (31.3%) The importance of a scenic course, the relative cost of the event, having fun and having friends who are doing it were rated as important by between a third and half of Canadian runners. Once the basics are established, more personal preferences come into play: what constitutes a scenic course, a fun race, or an appropriate cost is going to vary among runners. The reasons why friends would be doing a certain race probably overlap, but it indicates that races are social events. The finisher s medal is the first of the options that indicate any kind of swag is a draw for runners. Just less than one-third of runners choose their race based on the finisher s medal. Factors/Gender I Have Time to Train Fast Course Accurate, Certified Course Quality T-Shirt Qualifying Race Male 110 (23.3%) 149 (31.6%) 160 (33.9%) 98 (20.8%) 111 (23.5%) Female 135 (30.7%) 92 (20.9%) 93 (21.1%) 102 (23.2%) 57 (13.0%) Total 245 (26.8%) 241 (26.4%) 253 (27.7%) 200 (21.9%) 168 (18.4%) Factors that were important to a quarter or less of runners include more competitive factors such as having time to train, a fast accurate course, and whether the races is a qualifier for another race (such as Boston or New York marathon qualifiers). The second swag item that appears is the t-shirt, which just over 20% of runners consider important when choosing their race. It is worth questioning whether these leading swag items are just a matter of expectation (races tend to give away t-shirts, and medals) or if there is inherent value in each of them. 16

17 Factors/Gender It Benefits an Important Cause Promise of a Unique Event Race is Part of Local Series Health/ Injury Good Age Group Awards Male 66 (14.0%) 80 (17.0%) 85 (18.0%) 55 (11.7%) 65 (13.8%) Female 115 (26.1%) 65 (14.8%) 58 (13.2%) 63 (14.3%) 48 (10.9%) Total 181 (19.8%) 146 (16.0%) 143 (15.7%) 119 (13.0%) 113 (12.4%) Despite some social media hype, the cause that a race supports is not an important factor to over 80% of runners. Clearly there is a sub-set of charity runners but most runners do not weigh the cause as part of their selection of a race. Women do so more than men. It is worth noting that the cause of the race is less important (16.7%) in the age group than among runners overall, dispelling the millennial myth in that regard. Factors/Gender Food and Beverage Available Crowd Support Elite Runners in the Field Entertainment on Course or Finish No Crowds/ Traffic/Hassles Expected Male 61 (12.9%) 49 (10.4%) 61 (12.9%) 37 (7.8%) 40 (8.5%) Female 50 (11.4%) 55 (12.5%) 21 (4.8%) 43 (9.8%) 38 (8.6%) Total 111 (12.2%) 105 (11.5%) 82 (9.0%) 81 (8.9%) 78 (8.5%) The importance of elements such as food and beverage (which was a choice added to the survey after it was the most cited write-in category last year), crowd support, elite runners, on-course entertainment and the lack of traffic are relatively low. Of note, the inclusion of elite runners in the course was much higher for men than for women. Factors/Gender There is an Expo Family Friendly Random Participant Awards Prize Money Appropriate Training Grroup is Available Male 31 (6.6%) 30 (6.4%) 27 (5.7%) 30 (6.4%) 17 (3.6%) Female 32 (7.3%) 29 (6.6%) 25 (5.7%) 12 (2.7%) 22 (5.0%) Total 63 (6.9%) 59 (6.5%) 52 (5.7%) 42 (4.6%) 39 (4.3%) These elements were not considered important by over 90% of runners. It is interesting to contrast the lack of importance for a training group, with the high importance of participating with friends. As we have seen, runners tend to run alone, for the most part, but like to race with others. Is this an ego thing, where runners want others to see their result? Or is it that runners, even those who do train in a group, will do most of their runs alone, and so the race is a way to get together? 17

18 Race Distances Distances/ Gender 10k (or 6mile) Half-Marathon 5k (or 3mile) Marathon 12k, 15k or 10mile 8k or 5mile Male 397 (73.9%) 391 (72.8%) 370 (68.9%) 228 (42.5%) 154 (28.7%) 155 (28.9%) Female 347 (71.7%) 337 (69.6%) 357 (73.8%) 152 (31.4%) 122 (25.2%) 108 (22.3%) Total 745 (72.9%) 729 (71.3%) 728 (71.2%) 380 (37.2%) 277 (27.1%) 263 (25.7%) Distances/ Gender Fun Run or Untimed Run Trail/Mountain Race 20k, 25k or 30k Shorter Than 5k Cross Country Male 104 (19.4%) 132 (24.6%) 125 (23.3%) 118 (22.0%) 94 (17.5%) Female 145 (30.0%) 83 (17.1%) 79 (16.3%) 66 (13.6%) 37 (7.6%) Total 249 (24.4%) 215 (21.0%) 204 (20.0%) 184 (18.0%) 131 (12.8%) Distances/ Gender Non-Traditional (Mud, Obstacle, Colour) Road Running Relay Track Race Ultra (Longer Than Marathon) Untimed Walk None of the Above Male 39 (7.3%) 47 (8.8%) 59 (11.0%) 44 (8.2%) 5 (0.9%) 8 (1.5%) Female 66 (13.6%) 49 (10.1%) 28 (5.8%) 18 (3.7%) 14 (2.9%) 4 (0.8%) Total 105 (10.3%) 96 (9.4%) 87 (8.5%) 62 (6.1%) 20 (2.0%) 12 (1.2%) The most popular running events are 10k, half-marathon and 5k. Overall and for men, 10k is the most popular, while for women the 5k is most popular, but the difference is marginal. The marathon trails these three, for obvious reasons, perhaps. Minor, or less traditional distances have similar popularity to each other (about 25-27% of runners do 8k or 12k or 15k or 20k runs). The differences in popularity of distances are likely due to how frequently they are offered, with the exception of the marathon, as we can also see from finisher numbers that these events have fewer participants than 10k/5k/Half. Travel Travel Frequency Occasionally Frequently Never 631 (61.6%) 233 (22.8%) 160 (15.6%) Travel Location Nearby Communities (Within km) Throughout my Province To USA 515 (59.5%) 389 (45.2%) 359 (41.7%) Travel Location Neighbouring Provinces Throughout Canada Around the World 260 (30.2%) 228 (26.5%) 133 (15.4%) Runners like to travel to races. Naturally frequency of travel decreases as the destination gets further away from home. 18

19 In the final section, we will look at some of the purchasing and gear habits of runners. Running Shoes/Gender Running Shoes/ Gender Asics Saucony New Balance Brooks Mizuno Nike Adidas Male 94 (21.2%) 86 (19.4%) 66 (14.9%) 43 (9.7%) 38 (8.6%) 38 (8.6%) 27 (6.1%) Female 93 (23.0%) 94 (23.3%) 62 (15.3%) 46 (11.4%) 30 (7.4%) 24 (5.9%) 10 (2.5%) Total 187 (22%) 180 (21.2%) 128 (15.1%) 89 (10.5%) 69 (8.1%) 62 (7.3%) 37 (4.4% Running Shoes/ Hoka Altra Salomon Skechers Reebok Newton Gender Male 7 (1.6%) 8 (1.5%) 6 (1.4%) 6 (1.4%) 4 (0.9%) 3 (0.7%) Female 7 (1.7%) 6 (1.5%) 6 (1.5%) 4 (1.0%) 4 (1.0%) 2 (0.5%) Total 14 (1.6%) 14 (1.6%) 12 (1.4%) 10 (1.2%) 8 (0.9%) 5 (0.6%) Running Shoes/ Gender Vibram Five Fingers Under Armour Math Sport Puma Pearl Izumi Male 2 (0.5%) 3 (0.7%) 2 (0.5%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 0 Female 1 (0.2%) (0.2%) 0 1 (0.1%) Total 3 (0.4%) 3 (0.4%) 2 (0.2%) 2 (0.2%) 1 (0.1%) 1 (0.1%) Teva Choice of running shoes is very much a personal preference. Despite marketing efforts, the best way to choose your running shoes is to choose those that are most comfortable. 19

20 Gear Choices Gear Sports Watch GPS Hat/Visor Sunglasses Cell Phone Keys Portable Audio System/ipod/ MP3 Total 508 (57.1%) 490 (55.1%) 444 (49.9%) 444 (49.9%) 335 (37.6%) 305 (34.3%) 298 (33.5%) Gear Water Bottle Reflective Gear Personal ID Energy Bars/ Gel Sunscreen Hydration Accessories (Belt/ Backpack) Heart Rate Monitor Total 277 (31.1%) 241 (27.1%) 239 (26.9%) 205 (23.0%) 190 (21.3%) 182 (20.4%) 180 (20.2%) Gear Cash/Credit Card Compression Gear Waist Belt Sports Drink Chapstick/ Lip Gloss Toilet Paper Sleeves Total 131 (14.7%) 122 (13.7%) 114 (12.8%) 100 (11.2%) 76 (8.5%) 48 (5.4%) 44 (4.9%) 44 (4.9%) Dog Gear Sweatband Nothing Pedometer Inhaler Baby Jogger Pepper Spray Knee Straps Weights Total 38 (4.3%) 36 (4.0%) 32 (3.6%) 26 (2.9%) 18 (2.0%) 17 (1.9%) 9 (1.0%) 3 (0.3%) It is also interesting to see what types of gear runners run with. In recent years, the biggest addition would be the cell phone, though with just over a third of runners running with their phones, it s perhaps not as ubiquitous yet as we sometimes think. 20

21 Conclusions This survey provides valuable insight into the training, habits and preferences of Canadian road runners. The information contained here can be of use to event organizers in planning and producing their events. Survey information can be even more valuable if we can observe trends over time. As such the goal is for the survey to be sent out annually. In 2018, we hope to have a wider distribution, and to be able to use what we ve learned from this survey to hone the questions, and add new ones. We also hope that readers of this survey will contact us and suggest further lines of questioning that they think would be useful. There is benefit to consistency in the survey, but we can also have a specific focus each year where we explore a particular area of interest. Changes from last year s survey include some of the following suggestions: 1. Clearer definitions: a. We gave a clearer definition of what constitutes elite/competitive/recreational running categories: i. Elite: top 30 in Canada overall ii. Competitive/Age Group: focus on age-group competition/personal bests iii. Recreational: participating for non-competitive reasons iv. Walker: primarily walking events b. We also provided clarity by contrasting self-identification with reported race results c. We provided more options under the question about running groups to help clarify the social aspects of running 2. Deeper examination into the runner s profile: a. We asked about their first racing experience b. We asked about their motivations for running and racing c. We asked if runners are coached, and about how they learn about training d. We asked specifically during which months runners run, and which days of the week they run e. We asked about race performance (Personal Bests) If you would like to suggest a question or to provide any feedback, please contact: Athletics Canada Manager of Off-Track Programs John Lofranco jlofranco@athletics.ca 21