Marketing Your Running Event in a Crowded Market
Running has never been more popular. Social media is full of training diaries, marathon journeys, PB wins and runners discovering the sport for the first time. This momentum has created a huge opportunity for race organisers. But it also means you need smart, consistent marketing to make sure your event stands out. Successful events don’t just rely on a great route; they create a sense of excitement long before race day and keep the energy going long after the finish line.
Here’s how you can market your event at every stage and how Sportstiks products help strengthen your message.
Building the Buzz: Marketing Before Sign-Up Opens
The period right before registration opens is one of the most important phases for creating hype. Runners are motivated by stories, visuals and the promise of an unforgettable experience. This is your moment to remind them why your event is worth putting in their training calendars.
Sharing clips of previous events works incredibly well. Footage of the start line energy, finish line emotions, medals being handed out, and runners celebrating PBs quickly re-ignites excitement. These snippets remind past runners what they loved and make new runners feel like they might be missing out.
This is also the best time to show off what makes your event special. Teasers of the medal, event T-shirt, race bib design, or unique sections of your route help build anticipation and make sign-up feel more urgent. Race bibs are often one of the first things runners share when training – so a preview of your bib design gives people something visual to latch onto right away.
Micro-influencers and running creators can add another layer of momentum. The running community on social media is huge right now – everyday runners documenting their progress have built loyal followings. If these creators previously ran your event, or are planning to this year, their excitement and training posts will drive organic interest. Even a small mention or training vlog creates credibility and makes your event feel like the one to be part of.
Launching Registration: Keeping the Excitement Rolling
When registration goes live, your marketing should be active across every channel. Although social media is the most immediate, it’s important not to overlook traditional or alternative spaces.
Email marketing allows you to deliver content directly into inboxes. Here, you can offer sneak peeks of medals, bib designs and route plans; share stories from previous participants; and create countdowns or “last chance” reminders. People often need several prompts before they commit, so consistent touchpoints matter.
Physical marketing still has a huge impact, especially for local or regional events. Banners in town centres, posters in gyms and signs on popular running routes catch people at the right moment – often when they’re already thinking about training.
Sponsors and charities can significantly widen your reach too. Many charities have groups running on their behalf, and their own social feeds are highly engaged. When they promote your event, they bring an audience already motivated by purpose. Sponsors also love sharing branded bibs or medal teasers – it reinforces their involvement and adds extra visibility for your race.
Your organising committee is another overlooked but powerful marketing team. Encouraging each member to share updates, behind-the-scenes moments or planning milestones helps build trust and gives your event a community-driven feel. It humanises the process and keeps people engaged.
Local running clubs can also play a huge role. Word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly strong in these groups. If one or two club members sign up, others often follow. Sharing posts in local club groups, offering discount codes or simply keeping them informed can significantly boost participation.
Race Week and Race Day: Bringing the Hype to Life
As race day approaches, the buzz should feel louder, not quieter. Posting route previews, event village maps, race pack collection details and last-minute preparation tips keeps runners engaged and reassured. Sharing exclusive insights (such as where the best spectator spots are or what new features runners can expect) adds to the excitement. Check out our blog on How to Organise a Running Event for some tips!
On race day itself, going live on social media is invaluable. People follow the event even if they’re not there, and many runners love looking back on these clips after they’ve finished. Showing the start line atmosphere, the countdown, the excitement of the crowd and the early finishers creates immediacy and brings your entire online audience into the experience.
Updates on the first finishers, both male and female, and the top three placements help build tension and celebrate achievement. These posts often get shared widely, especially when runners are tagging friends or clubs. Race bibs look brilliant in these moments – easily identifiable, cleanly designed and prominent in photos.
Post-Race Marketing: Keeping the Energy Going
Many organisers underestimate how powerful the period immediately after the race can be. This is when people feel inspired, accomplished and eager to sign up again – or determined to come back next year for a PB. It’s the best time to release next year’s date and open early sign-ups.
Sharing professional photos is a huge driver of engagement. Tagging runners, offering downloadable images or posting highlight albums encourages people to share their achievements, effectively promoting your next event for you. Video recaps are also incredibly effective. Releasing short teasers before the final edited film keeps the excitement going and builds anticipation.
Showing medals, T-shirts, bib snapshots and moments from the day reinforces the emotional connection runners have with the event. Race bibs often appear in finish-line selfies, group photos and race reels – every one of those posts becomes an organic advertisement for your event.
The “fear of missing out” effect is very real. When people see runners celebrating, smiling through the finish line and wearing their medals proudly, they start imagining themselves there next year. This is the moment to strike with early-bird sign-ups, date announcements and warm encouragement to return for another year.
How Race Bibs Become One of Your Most Powerful Marketing Tools
A huge part of your event marketing happens through the race bib itself. It’s one of the most photographed and shared items before, during and after race day, and when designed well, it becomes a powerful communication tool.
Sportstiks race bibs can include features that enhance both marketing reach and runner experience. From QR codes linking directly to event information, route maps or runner profiles, to tear-off bag tags and tokens that make the logistics of race day smoother. Different bib colours or styles for various distances or categories help runners feel part of something organised and professional, and they make race photos clearer and more vibrant.
When runners enjoy their experience, they naturally become advocates – they come back year after year, they share your event across social media, and they talk about it to their club friends. That trifactor of repeat business, organic sharing and word-of-mouth is some of the most effective marketing your event will ever have.
Why Sportstiks Helps Your Event Stand Out
In a world where runners share every part of their journey, having strong, recognisable branding matters more than ever. Sportstiks race bibs are not just functional – they’re a major part of the event identity that appears in photos, videos, reels and stories. Temporary logo tattoos help create a sense of unity and fun, while signage and print materials make your event look cohesive and professional from the moment runners arrive.
Sportstiks products enhance your marketing at every stage:
Before the race, they help build anticipation with sharable visuals.
During the race, they become part of the experience runners are proud to show off.
After the race, they appear in thousands of photos and videos that continue promoting your event long after the finish line.
A well-marketed running event is one that people feel connected to and with the right strategy and the right tools, your event can create excitement all year round.
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Products
At Sportstiks we have everything under one roof, giving us total control over the entire process of producing your products and providing a truly impressive race solution.
Our team are constantly researching and developing new innovative materials and techniques to provide race directors, event organisers and athletes with athlete ID solutions that suit their requirements. Give us a call and talk to our guys about your event, what you need and how Sportstiks can make a difference. We offer the full package. From simple race bibs for a local 5km fun run to fully bespoke, collated race packs for international elite athlete events, no event is too large or too small.