A few months ago, we hosted two surveys, trying to capture the pulse of Singapore’s running community. A total of 722 people responded – all of them enjoyed discount vouchers, kindly sponsored by Running Lab. Today, we present you the results!
The Who is Who of runners
The majority of runners are between the ages of 30 and 39 years, followed by those aged 40 to 49. Men outnumber women by 58% to 42%, and occupation-wise, it seems that running is most popular amongst executives and managers who, together, comprise more than 50% of the sample.
When it comes to motives, the majority of people see running as a means to stay fit and active (76% responded “very true”) and a considerable amount of people use running to lose weight.
17% of people said they strongly prefer running in groups, while 50% have neutral feelings about it. Racing has become a habit for runners in Singapore, with 61% respondents saying that they really enjoy taking part in races and running events.
While most said they are passionate or at least neutral about running, only a mere 16% sees themselves as an athlete, and even less (5%) as a triathlete. The majority of runners clock between 10 and 19 km every week as part of their training.
Racing preferences
With over 120 running events this year alone, runners are spoilt for choice when it comes to racing. Singapore has it all, from themed runs to ultramarathons, and from road races to multisport events.
The majority of runners join 4 to 6 races per year, while a considerable number takes part in over 7 events in a year. The most important factor in choosing a race was reported to be the distance and categories offered, followed by the finisher t-shirt.
Price and finisher medal followed, and other key factors were found to be the route and event organiser.
The most favorite race category with runners in Singapore is 11 to 21 km events (including Half Marathons), which is preferred by almost 40% of the people. 6 to 10 km is also popular (30%), while only 2% amongst us prefer ultramarathon distances.
Shopping
Running might not come cheap to all of us, with 47% of the people owning and buying three or more pairs of shoes. Still, however, the driving factor for choosing the next pair was found to be price, followed by support.
Most runners said that they prefer to find a shoe that works for them and stick with it, with only 15% being more open to experimenting. Interestingly, men tend to shop more when it comes to running! Men have an average of 2.7 shoes in their collection, while women are slightly behind with 2.4 pairs.
We hope that you enjoyed reading this study and saw yourself in it! Let us know which type of runner you are and share the results with your buddies!
