After two decades of growth in footrace participants, the running boom "is over," and "blame millennials," according to Rachel Bachman of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Data from the research group Running USA showed that the "number of finishers dropped 9%" in '15. Coming off a small decline in '14, the slide last year "points to a sustained cooling off of footrace fever, something that was unimaginable only two years ago," when Running USA reported that the number of '13 finishers had "reached an all-time peak" of 19 million. A sport "traditionally dominated by young adults, running is losing its hold on 18- to 34-year-olds." The presence of Millennials "is shrinking," dropping to 33% of finishers in '15 from 35% a year earlier. Overall, the number of adults who run 50 times a year or more declined 11% from '13-15. In the same span, the total number of frequent runners ages 25-34 dropped 19%. Runners ages 18-24 dropped 22%. That translates into about 2.5 million fewer young people "who run consistently." The end of the running boom "bears implications for a massive industry." Commercially, running is the "largest U.S. athletic footwear category by retail sales," hitting $7.1B in '15 (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/6).
