According to the latest numbers available (to us, for free, anyway) running and jogging participation in the US grew steadily from 1998-2004 (Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association). During the six-year period running participation (that is, people who reported running or jogging at least once during the year) increased from almost 35 million Americans to more than 37 million. The biggest jump actually occurred from 2003 to 2004 when more than 1 million new American runners came on board.
The reason for the increase? Who knows. I do know that in 2003 I was in the Air Force and we started a new mandatory fitness program that included running a mile and a half as part of the standard test. Before that point the Air Force used a VO2-max test that consisted of riding a stationary bike while hooked up to a heart rate monitor. Anyway, with more than 300,000 active duty personnel this is just one thing that could have increased running participation around that time. In 2003 many health insurance and HMO groups also began offering discounts for regular aerobic exercise so perhaps that had an impact as well?
Even more interesting to me is the growth in trail running participation from 1998 to 2004, increasing nearly 24% over 6 years! Those of you who have been with this site for a while know that we actually started out focusing on trail running and our selection of “Places to Run” is dominated by off-road runs. It seems more and more folks are recognizing the benefits and excitement of trail running and are getting out into the dirt. It also helps that running shoe companies are building specialized shoes for trail running that provide increased traction and ankle support.
Yep, running participation in the US is certainly gaining traction and we’d love to have everyone join the party! SeriousRunning.com is here to help you find the best places to run, the best running shoes to wear, and the most enjoyable races to run. See you out there!