12.5 million runners: how did running become a consumer market in France?

12.5 million people in France run regularly. Eight million run at least once a week.

Behind this mass participation, a genuine economy has taken shape: each runner spends an average of €550 a year, including €150 to €200 for a single pair of shoes, replaced at least once a year.

What structures this market? Why is participation becoming more female? And what does running reveal about household spending trade-offs?

Key figures for running in France

– 12.5 million people in France run regularly
– 8 million run at least once a week
– 48% of participants are women
– more than 11,000 races are organised each year
– 3 million participants cross a finish line
– €550 in average annual spending per runner
– €150 to €200 for a pair of shoes
– most participants replace their shoes at least once a year

Mass participation, but not uniform

Running has a rare characteristic: it combines a very high number of participants with a high intensity of practice.

Of 12.5 million regular participants, 8 million run at least once a week close to two thirds. That consistency ratio sets running apart from many other sporting activities, which are often marked by high drop-out rates.

Two sociological shifts now structure this activity.

More women are running

Women now account for 48% of participants close to parity. A major shift for a discipline long perceived as male, and one with direct consequences for the market: dedicated equipment ranges, adapted event formats, rethought communication.

he weight of older runners

The 55-64 age group is among the most committed participants. That runs counter to the image of a young person’s sport, and reflects both a longer sporting life and growing attention to preventive health.

What makes running a market?

At first glance, running costs nothing. That is precisely what makes the €550 annual figure remarkable.

Three mechanisms explain this economy.

Wear as the engine of replacement

The running shoe is a consumable. It wears out with mileage, and most participants replace it at least once a year. At €150 to €200 a pair, that single item creates a purchase recurrence comparable to a subscription.

Peripheral equipment

Technical clothing, GPS watches, accessories, sports nutrition: spending spreads well beyond the shoe, on varying replacement cycles.

Events

More than 11,000 races are organised each year in France, for 3 million finishers. Every race number generates a direct expense — the entry fee — and often associated ones: travel, accommodation, eating out.

This event dimension turns an individual activity into an occasion for collective spending.

What running reveals about consumption

Running illustrates a consumption logic typical of the period: the spending is not constrained, it is chosen, and it is defended.

Nobody is obliged to buy a €180 pair of shoes. But the regular runner sees that spending as legitimate, because it serves an activity to which they attach value — health, wellbeing, belonging to a community.

The same mechanism appears in other wellbeing and living-environment markets: households tighten certain budget lines while protecting those that carry meaning or pleasure.

Running adds a dimension of its own, however: recurrence. Where other pleasure spending is one-off, equipment wear imposes a regular replacement rhythm that secures the market over time.

Key takeaways

Running brings together 12.5 million regular participants in France, 8 million of whom run every week. The activity has become more female 48% women and counts the 55-64 age group among its most committed.

This mass participation has been matched by a structured economy: €550 in average annual spending per runner, €150 to €200 for a pair of shoes replaced at least once a year, and more than 11,000 races organised each year for 3 million finishers.

A market that illustrates the resilience of chosen spending, with one distinctive feature: equipment wear gives it a recurrence that few pleasure purchases enjoy.

👉 Find the Consumption 2026 study by the Observatoire Cetelem

👉 Read also: the electric car in Europe, 1.9 million registrations in 2025

👉 Back to the February 2026 Mobility & Consumption Minute on BNP Paribas Personal Finance