Op-ed: The Post Pandemic Evolution Of Mass Participation

The mass participation sector was one of the hardest hit since the pandemic, with cancellations and postponements across the board. As we emerge into a post-Covid world, Thomas Inskip, Head of Fitness at The PHA Group, gives us his thoughts on how the sector can bounce back to future success.

I’ve worked on some fantastic events over the course of the last ten years from Tough Mudder, to Spartan Race, L’Etape du Tour and The Great Run Series – and most recently with the likes of the Royal Parks Half Marathon and the Trail Series Events held by Threshold Sports. The factor that stands out to me most, both to survival and progression, is commitment and focus on fundraising.

2020 and 2021 saw a huge funding gap for charities, and much of this was caused by the damaging effects of the pandemic on the events sector, and at that fundraising. For example, the 2019 London Marathon raised £66.4 million for charity, while October’s virtual 2020 event, although impressive given the circumstances, raised a significantly reduced figure of £16 million. It’s a huge discrepancy which to me paints a picture of just how important fundraising is – it’s a message that must be communicated to drive strong numbers as we emerge from the pandemic. 

We should expect to see a huge number of people taking part in events up and down the country this year knowing that their efforts will be directly contributing to the revival of the charity sector, and fundraising is of course fundamental in so many ways past the means of the mass participation sector.

From a format standpoint, I believe there is still a place for virtual events. That’s evident based on the success of virtual marathons like the Royal Parks Half Marathon last April – over 6,000 runners, 400 of which were from outside the UK took part, supporting in excess of 250 charities.

Generally speaking, whether it be virtual or non-virtual, I expect the traditional distances of half marathon and marathon’s popularity to continue to grow, with the key focus being raising money for charity.

If we are to sell-out events as has so often been the norm in the past, event organisers and charities must work together to not just promote these events, but to champion the inspiring stories of participants in encouraging others to sign-up.

Looking past the traditional distances, in recent years I’ve also witnessed a willingness to think even bigger among participants. I don’t doubt that obstacle course races will always have a place in the sector, but the challenge is evolving with demand.

Tough Mudder and Spartan Race merged recently while Rat Race Adventure Sports announced that this May will be their last ever Dirty Weekend. I think demand for tougher physical challenges is partly responsible for this, and that’s across terrains – no doubt the success of Great Britain’s triathletes in Tokyo have only boosted the popularity of events such as long-distance swims, 100km runs and so forth.

Equally, I think some are looking to events which focus on experience – if you take the Threshold Trail Series as an example, many want to make a weekend of it. It’s not just an obstacle course race but an opportunity to camp in idyllic locations, perfect for families and arguably more of a holiday – of course, with the spice of an ultra-distance to tackle!

Additionally, Rat Race has launched their Bucket List Series, which they’ve described as a collection of ‘extraordinary events, in way out-there locations around the globe’, including the likes of Iceland, Mongolia and Nambia, giving participants the opportunity to partake in unconventional challenges.

In short, it’s without question the pandemic has forced the sector to learn and evolve a lot already, but the next 12 months will be critical if we are to see significant growth again, and long-term success.

In the immediate, COVID-safety should still be at the forefront despite restrictions easing, whether that be through waves at races or through the implementation of robust safety protocols – it’s our job to communicate clearly the efforts that are being made, and organisers cannot afford to shy away from safety as a vehicle to encouraging participants back.

Lastly, and again taking the lens to the long-term viability of mass participation events, I think event organisers must recognise sustainability as a barrier. To again reference the Royal Parks Half Marathon, the continued reduction of its carbon footprint year-on-year has been impressive, now not a single plastic water bottle seen at the event as just one example of the strides made. Event organisers must continue to invest in sustainability in challenging times, and by reacting to change and challenge, I have every faith the mass participation sector will thrive again into 2022 and beyond.