Don't miss the next boat (2010)

Road runners and joggers are the largest group of athletics participants in Europe and the running market is expanding rapidly. However, few in this group consider themselves to be inside the traditional sport of athletics and only a small proportion is currently affiliated to an athletic club and thus to their national athletic federation. During the first running wave, which took place from the late 1960s through the 1980s, federations tended to ignore road running and ‘missed the boat’ on the opportunities it offered. This study, a condensed and edited version of a report commissioned by European Athletics, examines the policy issues federations face in regaining market share. Based on desk research, an on-line survey of European Athletics’ 50 Member Federations and consultations with experts, it describes the running market’s history and major trends, including a second running wave that has now been taking place for more than 10 years in most countries. It identifies the main challenges faced by European Athletics, the federations and athletics clubs and then concludes with a set of recommendations, including working together with existing event organisers and (re)positioning themselves as the ‘natural authority’ on road running, to ensure they catch the next boat.