USA Annual Marathon Report for 2013

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – With the spring marathon season opening, it is time for Running USA’s annual Marathon Report. Despite several cancellations due to weather and the Boston Marathon terror attack, 2013 was another record year for the classic distance with more than 1,100 marathons run across the country generating 541,000 finishers with a breakdown of 57% men and 43% women (a new high).

Last year, we reported that the estimated number of U.S. marathon finishers had declined from a record high 518,000 finishers in 2011 to 487,000 in 2012 (a 6% decrease), but like 2001, most of the decline was attributed to a unique situation; in 2001, it was post-9/11 travel impacting fall marathons, and in 2012, the ING New York City Marathon, the world’s largest 26.2 mile race with 47,000-plus finishers, was cancelled due to the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. If the NYC Marathon had been held in 2012, there is no doubt that the 2012 overall marathon finisher total would have exceeded the 2011 record of 518,000 marathon finishers.

TABLE 1

Gender and Age Group Breakdown
	1980	1995	2000	2005	2010	2011	2012	2013
Women	10%	26%	38%	41%	41%	41%	42%	43%
Men	90%	74%	62%	59%	59%	59%	58%	57%
Masters (40 yrs+)	26%	41%	44%	44%	46%	46%	46%	47%
Open (20 – 39 yrs)	69%	57%	54%	54%	52%	52%	52%	50%
Juniors (under 20)	5%	2%	2%	2%	2%	2%	2%	3%
	Female	Male
6-17 yrs	1%	1%
18-24 yrs	9%	6%
25-34 yrs	35%	25%
35-44 yrs	31%	31%
45-54 yrs	18%	24%
55-64 yrs	5%	10%
65+ yrs	1%	3%
Median Age
	1980	1995	2000	2005	2010	2011	2012	2013	(Mean)
Males	34	38	38	40	40	40	40	40	(40.2 yrs)
Females	31	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	(36.6 yrs)
Median Age Overall			37	38	37	37	37	36	(39.0 yrs)
Median Times for U.S. Marathon Finishers
	1980	1995	2002	2005	2010	2011	2012	2013
Males	3:32:17	3:54:00	4:20:01	4:20:29	4:16:14	4:16:34	4:17:43	4:16:24
Females	4:03:39	4:15:00	4:56:46	4:51:19	4:42:10	4:42:15	4:42:58	4:41:38