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Athletic Event Organizers in the US - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Michal Dalal Michal Dalal New York, United States Last Updated: August 2025 NAICS OD5795

Revenue

$4.8bn

2025

$4.8bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

15,732

Businesses

2,026

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Athletic Event Organizers in the US industry analysis

The athletic events industry is experiencing a period of renewed enthusiasm and steady growth, driven by growing interest in fitness, the social appeal of group participation and the proliferation of digitally connected experiences. Organizers are finding that demand for mass participation events is rebounding, with large-scale races and more intimate gatherings gaining traction. Thanks to advancements in mobile technology, signing up has never been easier, helping to further boost engagement and accessibility across all age groups. Revenue has expanded at a CAGR of 16.3% to reach $4.8 billion in 2025, with an uptick of 1.3% that year.

Trends and Insights

  • Corporate sponsorships are vital for athletic events. High participation costs are often offset by sponsorships, but slow growth in advertising expenditures has contributed to falling revenue.
  • Athletic events primarily cater to cardiovascular exercise enthusiasts. Running, cycling and walking events comprise the majority of industry revenue, as they are the most easily accessible by a wide range of fitness enthusiasts.
  • The geographic distribution of athletic events losely follows overall population distribution and density. Accordingly, the Southeast contains the largest number of industry establishments, followed by the Western region and Mid-Atlantic region.
  • Athletic event organizers industryface a low level of market share concentration. The industry is highly fragmented, as running associations that organize major events tend to focus on providing services to particular cities or geographic regions.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 16.3 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $4.8bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

High interest in sports and fitness is boosting athletic event participation

  • Increased focus on health and wellness is driving a surge in adult participation at running and mass athletic events. Between 2020 and 2025, overall sports participation in the U.S. grew by 2.9%, supported by heightened public awareness around fitness.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Athletic Event Organizers in the US
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Event organizers will leverage gravel cycling’s booming popularity

  • Rapid participation growth and accessibility will create new opportunities. Gravel cycling has seen a global increase of 55.0 % and a 48.0% growth rate in the U.S., according to Muckers Worldwide’s 2025 projections. Event organizers are motivated by this surge, as gravel is less intimidating for new riders than traditional road or mountain biking. Unlike other cycling disciplines, gravel events often allow participants to choose their own distance or pace, such as the Tour of Hermann Gravel Challenge. This flexibility, paired with routes that often showcase scenic landscapes, will help attract a diverse mix of new cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.

Biggest companies in the Athletic Event Organizers in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue
2025
Profit
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Athletic Event Organizers in the US industry.

Products & Services Segmentation

Athletic Event Organizers in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Running events, Cycling events and Walking events. Running events is the largest segment of the Athletic Event Organizers in the US.

Trends and Insights

Running events have become increasingly popular as health consciousness has grown

  • Running events are loosely defined as any event with an emphasis on running rather than walking, which includes 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon events.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Athletic event organizers manage and coordinate large-scale sporting events that don’t require dedicated facilities, such as marathons, triathlons and cycling races. These companies handle logistics, operations, promotions and participant registration.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States include Running events, Cycling events, Walking events, Multi-activity events and Other events.

Companies

Companies covered in the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States include .

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States include 5k, 10k and marathon.

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 711310 - Athletic Event Organizers in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Corporate sponsorships are vital for athletic events. High participation costs are often offset by sponsorships, but slow growth in advertising expenditures has contributed t...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Athletic events primarily cater to cardiovascular exercise enthusiasts. Running, cycling and walking events comprise the majority of industry revenue, as they are the most ea...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The geographic distribution of athletic events losely follows overall population distribution and density. Accordingly, the Southeast contains the largest number of industry ...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Athletic event organizers industryface a low level of market share concentration. The industry is highly fragmented, as running associations that organize major events tend t...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Athletic Event Organizers in the US industry.

Analyst insights

There are no major companies dominating the industry. This industry is highly fragmented, as associations that organize major events focus on providing services to particular...

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Athletic event organizers industry operators are subject to a moderate level of regulatory requirements. Industry operators are required to comply with state laws regarding e...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Cost structure varies relatively widely. The types of events put on by organizers vary drastically by the size, cost and demand from participants.

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
  • Income Statement (2018-2023)
  • Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2023)
  • Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States in 2025?

The market size of the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States is $4.8bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States in 2025?

There are 2,026 businesses in the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 3.3 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States?

The Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States?

The Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 16.3 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States is expected to grow.

What does the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States include?

Running events and Cycling events are part of the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States.

How competitive is the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Athletic Event Organizers industry in the United States.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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