Last year was a record year for the marathon, according to .
Approximately 541,000 runners completed one of 1,100 26.2-mile events across the United States in 2013. That’s up from 487,000 finishers in 2012. (Keep in mind, however, that one runner can count for more than one finish.)
Fifty-seven percent (308,400) of finishers were men, who ran an average time of 4:16:24. Average time for the 232,600 women was 4:41:38. Of both groups combined, 47 percent (254,300) were age 40 and older.
This record participation is impressive considering roughly 5,000 people did not finish the on April 15, 2013, due to the finish-line bombings. In December, two large marathons— and —were canceled due to inclement weather.
The massive , however, buoyed numbers with a record 50,266 finishers. Additionally, several marathons debuted in 2013, including the and races, which boasted a combined 2,513 finishers.
With this year’s Boston race expanded to 36,000 runners, we wonder if 2014 will see even greater marathon participation. Are you registered?
for tables and lists detailing demographics and statistics for U.S. marathons since 1980.