The latest industry news reveals significant developments in both the triathlon and running sectors, highlighting growth and evolving trends. This update covers the expansion of Bike Sherpa’s services, the booming run shoe market led by brands like Brooks and ASICS, and interesting shifts in race entry patterns.
Bike Sherpa Gears Up for Expanded Triathlon Event Support
Bike Sherpa, a specialized bike shipping service operating under Race Day Wheels, is set to broaden its reach in 2025. Building on over 15 years of experience in event logistics and transportation for brands and vendors, Bike Sherpa successfully launched last year, notably serving the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona. For the upcoming year, they are extending their services to potentially nine IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events.
The confirmed race list includes prominent events such as:
- IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside
- IRONMAN Texas
- IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga
- IRONMAN Lake Placid
- IRONMAN Chattanooga
- IRONMAN World Championships – Kona, HI
- IRONMAN Arizona
It’s important to note that service availability at each event depends on reaching a minimum threshold of 30 to 35 bike transport requests.
For athletes familiar with bike transport services, Bike Sherpa’s process will be straightforward. Customers select their preferred drop-off location and must deliver their bikes at least 24 hours before the scheduled ship day. Bike retrieval is conveniently located at the race expo or a designated pre-race location. Post-race, athletes simply return their bikes to Bike Sherpa for transportation.
Further details on the complete event schedule and booking information can be accessed at The Bike Sherpa Website.
Run Shoe Market Soars to Billions for Brooks and ASICS
Financial reports from Brooks and ASICS indicate a remarkably successful 2024 for performance running shoes.
Brooks has proudly announced its third consecutive year as the leader in the performance run category. Their fourth quarter performance alone saw a 19% surge in sales through run specialty channels, which are the dedicated brick-and-mortar running stores, excluding major retailers or online platforms. Impressively, the Brooks Ghost and Adrenaline GTS models accounted for a full 10% of all performance running shoes sold in 2024.
ASICS is also celebrating its second consecutive year of strong profitability. In North America, the brand experienced sales growth exceeding $130 million in 2024, reaching a total of $891.8 million. This impressive growth was largely fueled by the running shoe segment, with the NovaBlast 5 model leading the charge with triple-digit year-over-year growth. The updated Gel-Nimbus and Gel-Cumulus models also significantly contributed to market share gains throughout 2024.
Run Race Participation Sees Overall Increase
RunSignUp data reveals a positive trend in race participation, with an 8% increase in total race entries in 2024 compared to 2023.
However, this growth is primarily concentrated in larger events attracting over 5,000 participants. Smaller races are facing challenges, with 4% of events held in 2023 not returning in 2024. There are encouraging signs within shorter races with under 500 participants, showing a 10% year-over-year growth rate.
Price sensitivity remains a key factor. Pricing is increasing more rapidly for smaller, shorter races – 10Ks and shorter distances have seen price hikes exceeding 5%, while marathon prices are increasing at a slower average rate of 1%.
Runners are also showing a trend towards later registration. Despite early registration incentives with lower prices, a majority of participants still register within two months of race day. Over half of race fields register less than two months prior to the event.
Race Director Insights on Discount Strategies
Discussions within the race directing community reveal insights into early bird discount strategies and their impact on event finances.
One race director questioned if aggressive discounting might negatively affect race profitability. Many early bird offers include substantial discounts, sometimes as high as 30%. The concern was raised that discounts exceeding 10% might put race organizers in a position where they are barely covering costs, or even operating at a loss on early registrations.
However, another race director offered a counterpoint, explaining the strategic value of early bird registrations. While they might lose a small amount per entry with early bird pricing, it provides crucial upfront capital. This early revenue stream is essential for covering initial event expenses, such as deposits for timing services and medals, which require early payment.
The shift in runner behavior is also impacting registration timelines. A decade ago, a half marathon might sell out 90 days in advance. Now, with a smaller event scale, attracting participants requires more effort, highlighting the changing dynamics of race registration and marketing.
