Mass participation events ‘back on track’ but majority seek out new challenges each year
Melanie May | 21 January 2025 | News
Just under a third of mass participation event participants are happy to keep doing the same event over multiple years, with the majority seeking out new ones each year, according to The Mass Participation Pulse 2025, from massive.
For this, the third edition of the annual report, massive received over 11,000 responses to its survey from across the UK and Ireland, with respondents split 50/50 between males and females, and an average age of 44.
‘Significant’ growth in mass participation events
The report highlights significant growth across the mass participation events industry in 2024, with partners reporting event entry levels ‘well beyond 2019 pre-pandemic levels’. It also notes record ballot entries for events like the London Marathon and the Great North Run and substantial growth reported by event entry and fundraising platforms.
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Most popular are running events, which had a very positive year in 2024 with 79% of respondents taking part in them. Overall, the average number of events people reported participating was five, and looking ahead, massive found that 32% of respondents expect to increase the number of events they plan to take part in this year.
New audiences taking up the challenge
The report also found that just over a quarter (26%) of respondents had taken up events since 2022, compared to 9% the previous year. According to the findings, new event audiences are younger, well-educated, relatively wealthy and more likely to be female than existing event participants.
The findings reveal too a rise of almost 10% in the reported average spend on event entries, along with people spending more on kit, signing up for events on average up to 30 days earlier than in 2023, and travelling further to take part.
Top factors for taking part – and for cutting back
However, overall just 30% of respondents are happy to do the same event over multiple years, identifying quality of the event experience, friends signing up, and the offer of discounts for repeat participants as the top three factors most likely to get people to sign up again.
Having less disposable income is the biggest single factor in people cutting back on the number of events they take part in: of those participating in fewer events in 2024, 46% said this was due to having less spare cash.
More than half of fundraisers likely to fundraise again
48% of those who fundraised for charities through participating in an event were supporting that charity for the first time. On average, participants raised £1,425, meaning that the event participants surveyed raised over £3 million for good causes in 2024.
58% of fundraisers say they are likely to fundraise for a charity again, but a quarter – 24% – are undecided and almost 20% of fundraisers don’t expect to support that charity again.
Good facilities essential to participant experience
At the events themselves, practical elements such as toilets, clear signage, and ease of getting to and from event sites that participants value most highly. Toilets are the most valued element of the event for almost all types of participants, with younger participants the only group to rate event atmosphere above this, and women and men over 55 attaching the most importance to good toilet provision.
The report concludes that: “The mass participation events industry is back on track, with significant opportunities for growth and development in the year and years ahead.”
However, it also notes: “To maintain momentum, event organisers will need to focus on participant experience, tackle barriers to entry and continue to attract and retain the new generations of participant.“
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.