November is the peak

November is now the busiest month on our site, with an average of around 210,600 visitors per week, roughly 18% ahead of the best-performing month outside of the fall season. In line with this, the single most-viewed race date of 2025 was Thanksgiving Day, capturing 3.8% of all race-date interest for the year, more than double the next-closest date.

The opportunity here for organizers goes beyond races happening in November. This is the point in the year when the largest number of people are actively browsing Find a Race, so winter and early spring events can benefit from that demand, too. Make sure your race is open for registration during these months when most people are looking for races.

More runners, but more competition

Races held between September and December last year accounted for about 39% of all race-date interest, despite making up only about 20% of the distinct race dates in the data. Put another way, a race during this period attracted roughly twice the average interest per race date as the rest of the year.

The obvious benefit is that this creates a bigger pool of potential entrants, but there is a flip side to be aware of. Plenty of race directors already know about the increased visibility, which means runners often have lots of events competing for their attention at the same time. If your listing doesn’t stand out from all the other events available, it’s all too easy for people to just scroll past it.

What runners booked last year

The top 25 events we sent registrations to between September and November 2025 were almost exclusively Turkey Trots. Feet to Feast Walk/Run led the way, followed by the Five Star Thanksgiving Turkey Trot and the Wellesley Turkey Trot.

The best-performing events included everything from one-mile races to half marathons, but they all had one thing in common: Thanksgiving. That suggests runners looking to book a Turkey Trot might care more about the occasion than the distance, so emphasizing the overall event experience and race atmosphere in your listing could give you an advantage.

Don't wait until December

December technically sits inside the traditional fall race calendar, but it’s a month when traffic reliably declines, with an average of 110,700 visitors per week. That’s close to half the September to November average. If your event is scheduled for December, the optimal marketing time is in the months leading up to it, when site traffic is at its highest. Leave it too late, and you might struggle to fill your start line.

Your fall playbook 2026

• Get listed early. Runners are searching from September onwards, with the busiest weeks taking place in November. Finalize your listings early to take advantage of the increased traffic.

• Lead with what makes your event different. Competition is high; do what you can to stand out from the crowd, especially if it’s a Turkey Trot.

• Lean into seasonal energy. Embrace pumpkins, cider, and finish-line chili. It’s what the people want!

Grow your race

Fall might be the peak season, but runners look for races year-round. If you're on RunSignup, you can claim your race on Find a Race today. Find your event on the site and hit the 'Claim' button. If not, connect with us to list your race and reach thousands of runners looking for their next start line.