January is our biggest booking month. Are you ready for it?
But what makes January so important for race organisers isn’t just how many people visit the site; it’s how many actually go on to enter a race.
What to expect in January
Not only do more people visit Find a Race in January than at any other time in the year, but it’s also the month when they’re most likely to book, with a 25% higher conversion rate than the annual average.
That means marketing teams who allocate part of their budget to New Year promotions aren’t just paying for their events to be seen by more people, but to actually reach runners who are ready to spend.
What’s even more interesting is that 86% of January entries are first bookings for that event through Find a Race. These aren’t returning runners who already know your race; the new year presents an opportunity to attract new participants.
Which race distances benefit most?
The ‘January effect’, as we like to call it, isn’t limited to just one event distance. Compared against a typical month, every running distance comes out ahead.
Half marathons see the biggest uplift, with bookings 40% higher than a typical month, closely followed by 10ks at 36%.
| Race distance | Jan bookings vs typical month |
| Half marathon | +40% |
| 10k | +36% |
Marathon | +29% |
| 5k | +20% |
Ultra | +13% |
It isn’t just bookings that increase in January; conversion rates also improve for some distances. Compared to their annual averages, conversion rates are 13.4% higher for 10ks and 20.3% higher for half marathons.
How race dates affect January bookings
Races in the first few months of the year tend to see the most significant benefit from January’s booking surge. For February races, 45.3% of all bookings happen in January alone, and March isn’t far behind, with 33.5% of entries made during the same month.
| Race month | Share of bookings made in Jan |
| January | 40.4% |
| February | 45.3% |
| March | 33.5% |
| April | 21.3% |
January is a pivotal time for organisers with events in February and March because it’s when a substantial proportion of participants are likely to decide which race to enter. But that doesn’t mean organisers with events at different times of the year should disregard the January effect. Larger races with longer booking windows can still attract entries during this period, and regardless of when your event takes place, January gives you the perfect opportunity to get in front of Find a Race’s biggest audience of the year.
Get your January promotions booked
It’s essential to get in early if you’d like to give your race some extra visibility during our busiest period, because availability is limited, and promotional spots on our top performing pages - half marathons, 10ks, national, and London races - are already close to selling out.
Whether your event is coming up in February or you’re filling a field later in the year, January is the ideal time to reach a large audience when they’re most likely to enter.
Get in touch with Josh ([email protected]) to discuss the remaining availability for January promotions and secure your space before placements sell out.
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Header image: Will Harper-Penrose
