Realbuzz Impact Report 2024-2025 - Report - Page 3
Opening
Statement
Since 2002, realbuzz has partnered with charities from across
the globe to pair them up with runners and the events they want
to be part of, facilitating over £1bn of fundraising globally.
Our mission is to make charity running more accessible
worldwide, allowing more people to make their miles mean
more for the causes that need it most.
The running industry is in an
unprecedented boom, a boom that began
life as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
when traditional fitness facilities, classes
and other team sports were off limits to
the public. 30% of new runners in the UK
took up the hobby during the pandemic*.
However, the explosion seems to have
come in 2024 and compounded into a
market zeitgeist in 2025.
While 2023 was a ‘recovery year’ for
many endurance events, 2024 has seen
marathons, half marathons and other
distance running events across the world
beginning to ‘sell out’ in record time.
The SuperHalf Series, the world famous
European half marathon series and an
official realbuzz partner, which launched
in 2022, mid-pandemic, has grown from
c.20,000 runners registered in YR1 to
over 93,000 runners registered less than
three years later. Ballot applications for
major marathons have also surged with
events like the TCS London Marathon
recording 850,000 applicants for the
2024 event and then going on to far
surpass this in 2025 with over 1.1m
putting their names in the hat for a place.
Running is truly in a stage of momentous
market growth, globally.
*SportsShoes Running Report: Running Statistics 2025.
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