Several times a year the American Trail Running Association (ATRA) conducts surveys to measure trends within our sport, collect demographic profiles of its participants and analyze their preferences.
A few days after the Montage Mountain Half Marathon & USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships were held in Scranton, PA, June 9, 2019, we conducted a survey of the 230 participants. The following is a survey summary. Complete survey results are made available to corporate members at the Switchback, Steep & Rocky and All-terrain levels. For several of the questions, we compared responses from Montage with those from Februarys the FOURmidable 50K, and also those from December’s Moab Trail Marathon survey.
For questions about this or future ATRA trail running surveys contact Nancy Hobbs at [email protected]. Look for more surveys from us in 2019, as we work to provide information about participant demographics and trends in our sport.
142 of the 230 race participants completed our Montage Mountain survey.
Participant Gender:
- 68% men; 32% women
- 54% women; 46% men (FOURmidable)
Age:
- 40% of survey respondents between 19-39 years of age; 60% 40 and over
- 38% of survey respondents between 19-39 years of age; 62% 40 and over (FOURmidable)
Home State:
- 66% were residents of PA; 10% residents of NJ; 10% residents of NY
Weekly Running mileage Of Survey Respondents: (compared results from the 2018 Moab Trail Marathon survey and 2019 FOURmidable)
- Less than 20 miles per week: FOURmidable = 23%; Moab = 56.7%; Montage 22%
- 21 to 40 miles per week: FOURmidable = 44%; Moab = 34.1%; Montage = 50%
- 41 to 60 miles per week: FOURmidable = 23%; Moab = 7.4%; Montage = 20%
- More than 60 miles per week: FOURmidable – 10%; Moab = 1.8%; Montage = 8%
Experience Level Of Competitors:
At Montage, 48% of participants self-identify as mid-pack or back-of-the pack runners, compared with 66% at FOURmidable and 72% at Moab.
In Which Race Did The Respondents Participate:
- Open Half Marathon (NON USATF) – 52%
- USATF Half Marathon Championships Division – 44%
- Registered, but did not participate in the event – 4%
Trail Shoes versus Road Shoes:
In Montage, 80% wore trail-specific shoes. At FOURmidable, 91% of survey respondents wore trail-specific shoes compared with 83% of survey respondents from Moab.
Top Shoe Brand:
Hoka One One was the top shoe brand worn by survey respondents at Montage, FOURmidable and Moab.
Top 5 shoe brands – FOURmidable vs Moab vs Montage:
- Hoka One One – 27% vs 16% vs 15%
- Altra – 19% vs Salomon – 15% vs Saucony 12%
- Saucony – 11% vs Brooks – 15% vs Salomon 11%
- Brooks – 11% vs Altra – 14% vs Brooks 10%
- Salomon – 8% vs Saucony – 9% vs La Sportiva 9%
Hydration Solutions Used During The Race: FOURmidable vs Montage
- Wore a hydration pack – 64% – 25%
- Carried a water bottle – 33% – 23%
- Carried a reusable cup – 2% – 0%
- Carried NO hydration – 52% (Montage)
Top 4 Hydration Brands Packs Worn (50% carried no hydration pack):
- Nathan –17%
- Salomon and CamelBak – 6% each
- Ultimate Direction – 4%
Most Important Factor In Choosing The Event:
Respondents from Montage, Moab and FOURmidable said “a great course” was the single most important factor when choosing to participant in the race.
The 3 most important factors for Montage survey respondents influencing their decision to run:
- 84% chose “a great course”
- 75% chose “a location that is easy to drive to”
- 56% chose “challenging terrain”
A “well marked course” was the most important attribute of the race according to survey participants.
Past Survey Summaries:
- February 2019 – FOURmidable 50K Survey Summary.
- December 2018 – Moab Trail Marathon Survey Summary.
- Spring 2018 – General Trail Running Survey Summary.
- Spring 2017 – General Trail Running Survey Summary.
- Spring 2016 – General Trail Running Survey Summary.
- December 2016 – Moab Trail Marathon Survey Summary.
- November 2015 – Gender Equity in Mountain Running Survey.
