Women’s Running Releases 2018 Audience Study

Women’s Running released its 2018 Audience Study as a free download to the running industry, marketers, and agencies. The Women’s Running 2018 Audience Study offers a wealth of market research on America’s fast-growing audience of women runners. This comprehensive, 86-page study is the most in-depth report focused on women runners since the release of the Running USA Women’s National Runner Survey in 2014. The Women’s Running 2018 Audience Study is now available as a free download from womensrunning.com/study.

For this report, Women’s Running asked 6,572 women runners 74 detailed questions about how much they run, how much they spend on running, which retailers they prefer, their favorite places to run, their favorite health and fitness activities, their use of fitness equipment and technology, how they assess their own health, and their reasons for running and racing. They also shared what changes would make them more likely to run more than they do now. In responses to 20 shopping questions, thousands of women revealed their 100 most and least favorite brands in nine product categories including running apparel (50+ brands), shoes (40+ brands), sports watches (20+ brands), headphones, and fitness gear—and they picked out which products and brands they will be purchasing soon.

Key Findings of the Women’s Running 2018 Audience Study

Spending Habits: On average, the Women’s Running audience spent $1,438 each year on running-related goods and services and an additional $1,155 on running-related travel. To replace all her sports and health/fitness gear, Women’s Running’s average reader would have to spend $3,233.

Market Share Trends: The study includes brand ownership and intent to buy responses for 100 running and fitness brands in 9 product categories. These responses reveal the U.S. market share of those brands and show which are trending up and which are at risk of losing customers next year.

Running Participation: Women’s Running readers run an average of 198 days a year for 941 annual miles. That’s an impressive 4.75 miles per run, on average. Women’s Running’s readers run 6–9 races per year with typical favorite distances: 5K, half-marathon, and 10K. Running is the most important part of Women’s Running’s readers’ lifestyle, but they also get a lot of exercise in other ways. The magazine’s readers report walking, weight/strength training, yoga/Pilates, hiking, home workout videos, and cycling among their most frequent non-running exercise—and they exercise indoors and outdoors for up to eight hours a week.

Motivations: Women’s Running’s women runners run for fun, for fitness, and for the challenge. While they participate in races frequently, they are more interested in setting a personal best and staying involved in the running community than they are in competing with others.

Technology Use: 70 percent of Women’s Running’s readers always run with a smartphone and two of three always run with a GPS sports watch. 77 percent track their workouts with a sports watch or fitness tracker.

“Women are powering the growth in running today,” said Erin Beresini, Editorial Director of Women’s Running. “This report reveals what motivates women to start running and stick with it.”

“Women’s Running reaches women who are dedicated to exercise in many forms,” said Shannon Standefer, sales director for Women’s Running. “Brands seeking out active consumers in both the running and fitness space will find a receptive, highly engaged audience with Women’s Running.”

Women’s Running is published by Pocket Outdoor Media.