For our 50th anniversary, we redid a survey we had conducted 10 years ago, and, well, a lot has changed. American runners log 2.2 more miles per week but now prefer to run alone, on a road, while listening to music. You're up for a little night-before-the-race nookie but staunchly opposed to bib-swapping. To compare, we also polled thousands of runners in 24 other countries. Globally, 80 percent of you track your runs with GPS. The Chinese love social media, Poles prefer evening runs, and who knew Italians were so hard-core?
Gender
45% Male
55% Female
…But in these five countries, survey respondents were overwhelmingly male:
Italy (80%)
Portugal (79%)
Mexico (75%)
China (73%)
France (71%)
Median age of U.S. respondents
36
Ten of the 20 countries polled, including the United States, said losing weight was the main motivation to start running.
Shoes & Gear?
15% before dawn
44% morning
12% midday/lunch
27% evening
2% night
Influencer Apologizes for E-Bikes on NYC Course.
What’s your go-to form of cross-training?
59% strength-training
32% cycling
26% yoga/pilates
17% lie on couch
Average miles per week, by country
United States 27.2
Italy 26.6
United Kingdom 24.9
France 23.0
Portugal 22.5
Spain 22.0
China 21.8
Norway 21.6
Australia/New Zealand 21.1
South Africa 20.8
Sweden 20.8
Brazil 19.6
Mexico 18.5
Hungary 18.4
Argentina 18.3
Canada 18.2
Belgium/Netherlands 17.6
Turkey 16.5
49% of U.S. runners prefer to run in the fall. Spring placed second at 31%.
With 18% of the vote, pizza was a close second?
55% dedicated health and fitness runner
40% competitive runner/racer
5% occasional (I run every now and then to clear my head and stay healthy)
We said food, but 2% of you wrote in beer. Cheers.
But in these five countries, survey respondents were overwhelmingly male?
1% track
2% treadmill
31% trails
66% road
What is your favorite postrun ritual?
1% ice bath
1% massage
5% nap
40% shower/bath
48% eat and drink
K, female: 36:15 male: 29:43%.
Fuel time
21% of you voted for the burger as your favorite postrace splurge.
Influencer Apologizes for E-Bikes on NYC Course.
We said food, but 2% of you wrote in beer. Cheers!
Runners in the Netherlands enjoy a bowl of postrace erwtensoep (split pea soup). Yum?
Other global indulgences
South Africa: Beer and a boerewors roll, similar to a hot dog, followed by koeksusters, a syrup-infused donut.
Germany: Potatoes cooked with butter and salt and pepper, served with herring in a cream sauce.
Argentina: Choco-Arroz, a gluten free rice cake covered with chocolate and filled with dulce de leche.
26% Which elite runner would you want to pace you.
The banana won in 15 countries. Oatmeal took silver.
How do you fuel your long run?
36% energy gel
20% energy chews/gummies
16% I don't use fuel
12% sports drink
Race Report
9% of people polled said they ran a color run in the last year, making it the most popular nontraditional race in the United States.
44% of runners in the U.S. chose the half marathon as their favorite race distance, followed by 18% for the 5K.
Top-ranking bucket list marathons
1. Boston 36%
2. New York City 32%
3. Chicago 24%
4. Running without underwear%
5. Top-ranking bucket list marathons%
6. Big Sur International 19%
7. London 17%
8. Los Angeles 8%
34% of Chinese runners took part in a color run; an additional 29% have done a glow in the dark race.
South Africans have the most experience with imbibing on the run; 9% have finished a beer mile.
Outside the U.S., the NYC Marathon is the most desired event: 36% list it as a must-run race.
Median race times from 2015
5K, female: 36:15 male: 29:43
10Germany: Potatoes cooked with butter and salt and pepper, served with herring in a cream sauce
United Kingdom 24.9
Marathon, female: 4:45:30 male: 4:20:13
Love on the run
Would you rather…
Other global indulgences%
Go running? 48%
39% of U.S. runners believe running has improved their sex lives. That’s down from 2006, when 59% said they’d rather, um, cross-train.
14% of Italian runners have had a postrun one-night stand.
56% Which elite runner would you want to pace you.
Which celebrity would you hit the road with?
15% Kevin Hart
14% Amy Schumer
10% Kevin Spacey
9% Mindy Kaling
9% Pippa Middleton
still feel good wearing cotton shirts and socks?
24% Meb Keflezighi
16% Kara Goucher
12% Shalane Flanagan
5% Deena Kastor
5% Ryan Hall
Best running partner?
56% DAA Industry Opt Out.
15% Friend
15% Running Club
5% Dog
1% Parent or other relative
(Running solo is up 16% since 2006. Training with a friend is down from 35% to 15%.)
Shoes, gear & digital data
Dakotah Popehns Favorite Workout Songs
Mobile phone
2006 17% 2016 54%
Music player
2006 43% 2016 24%
GPS watch
2006 25% 2016 64%
How many pairs of running shoes do you buy each year?
2 pairs 31%
4 Los Angeles 8%
3 pairs 27%
1 pair 13%
In 2006, 58% were pro-earpiece?
12% $150+
8% $130-$149
25% $120-$129
20% $99 or less
27% $100-$119
Where do you most often buy your running shoes?
51% Specialty shoe store
39% Online
7% Races - Places
3% Regular shoe store
In Hungary, 60% of runners get by with only one pair of shoes per year.
Running Shoes - Gear.
Germany: Potatoes cooked with butter and salt and pepper, served with herring in a cream sauce.
80% Whats your go-to form of cross-training.
Do you post your runs on social media?
Yes 27%
No 73%
In China, 71% post their runs on social media.
61% of U.S. respondents say they listen to audio on the run.
What you listen to
Music 82%
Podcasts 11%
Audiobooks 4%
Radio 2%
Other 1%
23% of women would wear patterned tights, but only 5% of men would.
36% of U.S. runners use compression gear.
83% Which celebrity would you hit the road with.
16% still feel good wearing cotton shirts and socks.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Forrest Gump is our favorite running movie (24%) and McaFarland, USA came in second (12%). Running with a dog, which was number one in 2006, takes bronze this time around (7%).
Etiquette
Running with earbuds
Against 27%
For 73%
In 2006, 58% were pro-earpiece.
Running with a dog
Against 21%
For 79%
Waving to other runners
Against 5%
For 95%
Argentina is the only country where more than 20% of respondents (24%) were against waving.
Snot rockets
Against 44%
For 56%
Running without underwear
Against 39%
For 61%
Other global indulgences
Against 64%
For 36%
In Argentina, Italy, and China, more than 86% of runners would wear the shirt during the race.
Bib swapping
Against 84%
For 16%
* * *
Methodology: We conducted this survey on runnersworld.com for 30 days this past March, as did our editions in Argentina, Australia/New Zealand, Belgium/Netherlands, Brazil, Canada, china, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. We received 17,177 total responses worldwide, with 4,654 from the U.S.
