Since 2020, RunMotion Coach has been analyzing the major trends shaping running in France through its State of Running in France study. Year after year, this research has become a leading source for understanding the behaviours, expectations and changing habits of regular runners.
For brands, event organizers, media outlets, institutions and international companies looking for running data in France, State of Running in France provides a unique overview of the French market: training, competitions, trail running, road running, equipment, GPS watches, mobile apps, spending, motivations, health, performance and changes in running habits.
By combining responses from thousands of runners with aggregated data from its app, RunMotion Coach has developed a perspective on running that is grounded in real-life experience, human insights and data. This makes RunMotion Coach one of the organisations best positioned to understand the French running market and support companies seeking deeper insights into French runners.
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Running Data France: Why State of Running in France is a unique source of insight
The running market is evolving rapidly. Runners are becoming increasingly connected, races are selling out earlier, the distinction between road running and trail running is becoming less clear, spending is increasing and demand for personalised training is growing.
To understand these developments, brands and companies need reliable, regularly updated data that can be compared over time. This is precisely the purpose of State of Running in France by RunMotion Coach: to track annual running and trail-running trends in France using a methodology developed and refined over several years.
This approach makes it possible to identify the market’s major dynamics: why French people run, how they train, which tools they use, how much they spend, which races they choose, how they perceive performance, what they expect in terms of health and how their behaviours change from one year to the next.
Data Expertise developed since 2020
The first State of Running in France study was published in 2020, in a highly unusual context marked by race cancellations, changing training habits, the development of virtual challenges and shifts in runners’ motivation.
RunMotion Coach surveyed more than 1,000 runners and analysed aggregated data from its users to obtain both qualitative and quantitative insights into running habits. From the very first edition, the objective was clear: to share useful data with all stakeholders in the running industry interested in runners’ needs and market data.
This first edition laid the foundations for an observatory of running in France, covering motivations, training, races, digitalisation, equipment, injuries, spending and the impact of external events on running habits.
There was no edition in 2021, as sporting events continued to be heavily disrupted. State of Running in France returned in 2022 and has been published every year since, providing increasingly detailed insights into running and trail-running trends in France.
2022: The return of Races and the Growth of connected runners
The 2022 edition of State of Running in France marked an important milestone. After two disrupted years, regular runners gradually returned to events. The study analysed training, competition, technology, digital tools, equipment and environmental issues.
More than 1,600 runners were surveyed, alongside an analysis of aggregated data from RunMotion Coach users. This approach provided a detailed, both qualitative and quantitative, overview of running habits in France.
By 2022, the data was already showing a major transformation: 93% of regular runners tracked their sessions using a GPS watch, while 88% used mobile apps, mainly to view and analyse their running statistics.
This trend confirmed something essential for the market: runners no longer simply want to run. They want to understand their progress, monitor their data, analyse their training and make better decisions.
2023: A broader Perspective based on more than 400,000 users
The 2023 edition of State of Running in France confirmed the acceleration of this trend. This edition was based on responses from 2,148 participants and aggregated data from more than 400,000 RunMotion Coach users.
The study examined training, race participation and technological equipment, while also including a special focus on perceptions of the marathon. It showed that runners were returning to competitions in large numbers, aiming to improve their personal bests and investing more in their running.
This edition further strengthened RunMotion Coach’s credibility as a leading source of running data in France. The company does not simply observe isolated figures: it connects usage data, runners’ responses and the market’s underlying long-term trends.
For an international brand, an overseas event organiser or a company looking to understand the French running market, this continuity is particularly valuable. It makes it possible to go beyond assumptions and gain a structured understanding of the behaviours of regular runners.
2024: ROAD RUNNING, TRAIL RUNNING, SPENDING AND EQUIPMENT—A MORE MATURE ANALYSIS OF THE FRENCH MARKET
With the 2024 edition of State of Running in France, RunMotion Coach deepened its analysis of regular runners, defined as people who train at least twice a week.
The 2024 edition highlighted several major trends: runners were more connected than ever, they were registering for races earlier and the boundary between road running and trail running was becoming increasingly blurred.
This development is essential for industry stakeholders to understand. The French running market can no longer be reduced to a simple distinction between road runners and trail runners. A growing number of participants move between the two disciplines, adapt their equipment, change their race calendars and seek more varied experiences.
State of Running in France also provides a clearer understanding of differences in behaviour according to running level, goals, training habits, spending and equipment choices. For running market research in France, this level of detail is a major asset.
2025: State of Running in France takes on an international dimension
The 2025 edition of State of Running in France reached a new milestone, with more than 5,000 regular runners surveyed.
This edition confirmed the unprecedented popularity of races: 61% of runners had already experienced a race selling out before they were able to register. It also highlighted the growing overlap between road and trail running, with 50% of runners now practising both disciplines.
The most revealing data concerned the increasing structure of runners’ training: 96% used a mobile app, 97% used a GPS watch and 72% followed a training plan. These figures show that runners want intelligent guidance. They are looking for reliable tools, tailored plans, relevant advice and a better understanding of their progress.
Since the 2025 edition, State of Running in France has also taken on an international dimension. It is now part of the Industry Trends study, conducted in partnership with Sporting Insights, Runner’s World Germany and Raccoon Group Media for the International Running Expo.
This international expansion increases the value of State of Running in France for companies seeking to compare French trends with other markets, understand local characteristics and identify development opportunities within the European running ecosystem.
2026: A Data Study of a more informed, better-equipped and more demanding Running Community
The 2026 edition of State of Running in France confirms the maturity of the French market. Conducted among more than 3,200 regular runners, this sixth edition shows that running has become a genuine lifestyle.
Race entries remain in extremely high demand: 60% of runners said they had been unable to register for at least one race because it had already sold out. The distinction between road and trail running is becoming even less pronounced, with 50% of runners participating in both road races and trail events.
Connected running has also reached a record level: 98% of runners use a mobile app and 97% wear a GPS watch. The study also shows that 74% of runners follow a training plan through a coaching app, a personal coach or a running club.
Motivations are evolving as well. Physical fitness, personal challenges, health, enjoyment, well-being and injury prevention all play a central role. Runners are no longer focused solely on performance. They want to improve sustainably, enjoy the process, stay healthy and maintain a balanced approach to running.
For RunMotion Coach, these trends reinforce a strong belief: the best running support must be personalised, adaptive and connected to the runner’s real-life circumstances.
Why is RunMotion Coach a leading source of Running Data in France?
RunMotion Coach is particularly well positioned to analyse the running market because the company combines three strengths that are rarely found together.
First, it has real-world running expertise. The app was created in the French Alps by coaches and elite runners. The team understands the realities of training, marathon preparation, trail running, improvement, injuries and motivation.
Second, it has technological expertise. RunMotion Coach develops personalised training plans that adapt to each runner’s level, goal, schedule, fitness and feedback. The app also integrates with runners’ digital ecosystems, including GPS watches and activity-tracking platforms.
Finally, it has unique data expertise. Since 2020, the successive editions of State of Running in France have tracked changes in usage, spending, motivations, equipment, road and trail participation and runners’ relationship with technology. This continuity gives RunMotion Coach a historical, data-driven and practical understanding of running in France.
Running Market Research for International Brands and Companies
For an international brand, event organiser, media outlet, sports federation, sport-tech start-up or company looking to enter the French market, understanding local runners is essential.
The French running market has its own distinctive characteristics: a strong culture of mass-participation races, the rapid growth of trail running, widespread adoption of GPS watches, the importance of mobile apps, increasing spending, a desire to balance performance and health and growing expectations around personalised training.
State of Running in France by RunMotion Coach transforms these trends into actionable insights. It helps answer practical questions such as:
Who are France’s regular runners?
How is the trail-running market evolving?
What role do GPS watches and mobile apps play?
How much do runners spend on their sport?
Which race formats attract the most participants?
What prevents runners from registering for races or making progress?
What do runners expect from brands, event organisers and training services?
This knowledge makes RunMotion Coach a natural partner for any company seeking to conduct running market research in France or gain a better understanding of data relating to French runners.
Using Data to support runner progression and market understanding
RunMotion Coach’s real strength lies not only in collecting data, but in knowing how to interpret it and make it useful.
For runners, data can help them train more effectively, adjust their pace, manage their training load, prevent injuries and improve through a personalised training plan.
For brands and companies, data provides insight into real-life behaviours, emerging expectations, purchasing decisions, underlying motivations and the trends shaping the future of running.
RunMotion Coach operates at the intersection of these two worlds: individual coaching for runners and broader market analysis. This dual perspective gives the company a particularly detailed understanding of the issues shaping running in France.
Brands, Event organisers dnd Companies: Let’s work together
Through the successive editions of State of Running in France, its community of regular runners and its data expertise, RunMotion Coach also supports brands, event organisers, sports federations, media outlets and companies seeking a deeper understanding of runners.
Market research, analysis of running and trail-running trends, community engagement, data consulting, expert content, communication campaigns and partnerships: RunMotion Coach can help you better understand runners’ expectations and develop relevant initiatives.
Would you like to work with RunMotion Coach or discuss a project related to running, trail running or sports data? Contact us at contact@run-motion.com.
RunMotion Coach: A clear vision of the Future of Running in France
Since 2020, the successive editions of State of Running in France have documented the evolution of a sport undergoing rapid transformation: the mass return of races, the growth of connected tools, the rise of trail running, increasing spending, more structured training, the growing participation of women in long-distance events and the search for a balance between performance, health and enjoyment.
These trends are more than just numbers. They are shaping the future of running.
With its coaching expertise, command of data and close relationship with runners, RunMotion Coach is one of the organisations best positioned to support this transformation. The company understands the challenges facing the running industry because it observes, measures and experiences them every day alongside its community.
For runners, this expertise translates into personalised, practical support. For industry stakeholders—including brands, event organisers, companies, media outlets and institutions—it also represents a unique opportunity to better understand participants’ expectations.
For any company looking for running data in France, market research on the French running industry or reliable insights into regular runners, State of Running in France by RunMotion Coach is a leading source of information.
To speak with RunMotion Coach or develop a project together, contact us at contact@run-motion.com.