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Marathon marketing: How brands are leveraging the running culture

The rise of marathons is transforming into a major opportunity for brands. Experts discuss how these events are evolving into immersive platforms where brands can forge authentic connections and craft meaningful narratives that resonate with audiences.

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Pranali Tawte
New Update
Marathon marketing

Over the past two decades, India has experienced a significant surge in marathon participation. The number of registered runners has escalated from approximately 10,000 in 2004 to 2.5 million by 2025.

This growing enthusiasm for running has attracted substantial brand sponsorships. For instance, the Bengaluru Midnight Marathon reported a 15% increase in brand sponsorships, with companies like PhonePe becoming title sponsors.

The proliferation of marathons across India, from major cities to smaller towns, reflects the nation's growing health consciousness and the appeal of running as an accessible form of exercise. This trend has not only fostered a sense of community among participants but has also provided brands with valuable opportunities to engage with a captive audience.

Similarly, the Tata Mumbai Marathon, launched in 2004 by Procam has become another prime example of attracting participants and sponsors mass audience reach, uniqueness and social engagement. 

Vivek Singh, Jt. MD, Procam International said, “Marathons already contribute significantly to the sports marketing pie. Today, running is easily a USD 400 Mn+ industry, including sponsorships, barter/cash/registration fees, the fitness industry, apparel, and event management.”

The drivers behind the boom

India’s marathon culture is fueled by the synergy of personal transformation and strategic brand involvement. Marathons not only encourage physical and mental well-being but also create a platform for brands to connect with audiences on a deeper, more sustained level.

According to the GroupM ESP report, organised, participative sports market is more than INR 1000 Cr ($Mn 120) in India, and marathons are at the forefront of the participative sport in India.

Singh believes that participative sport has the power to allow brands to connect with their most relevant and loyal audience on a more personal level, engage with them quickly for a six-month window, and actively participate in their journey to becoming runners. 

He said, “Today, marathons are not just running events— it is an ecosystem that allows brands to have a 360-degree approach to drive their marketing and social objectives.”

This immersive connection transforms marathons into an ecosystem.

Sandip Joshi, Founder and Managing Director, HealthBridge Sports & Management, attributes the rapid growth of marathons in India to their cost-effectiveness and broad reach.

He said, “It is one of the best, cheapest event in which at a very low cost you reach or showcase your brand to the mass public, except IPL, cricket, pro kabaddi league other sports till date is not able to gain that popularity to reach out or to engage the mass level of the crowd as a spectator as well as participant.”

Joshi further explained that the growth of the marathon culture directly and indirectly benefits individuals, sponsors, associates, and vendors. Participation in marathons boosts physical and psychological health and nurtures qualities like consistency, willpower, and positivity, ultimately leading to an improved quality of life and higher productivity. From a branding perspective, sponsors enjoy significant visibility, with events attracting anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 runners, translating to 300,000 to 500,000  views at a relatively low cost.

The branding power

Marathons provide unique opportunities for brands to meaningfully engage with their target audiences, going beyond the limitations of traditional advertising. By integrating into the marathon ecosystem, brands gain direct access to a highly engaged, active, and health-conscious community, fostering stronger connections that extend over time.

Saurabh Sharma, Director Marketing at ASICS, highlighted that marathons offer the perfect platform to connect with the running community. Sharma said, “Marathons are direct mediums to provide hands-on experience to consumers; they offer the perfect opportunity to engage with our audience meaningfully. Marathons allow athletes to experience the ASICS’ first-hand - through product testing, relevant dialogues and personalised brand experiences. We aim to create a deeper connection and provide value to their personal goals while being a part of their fitness journey.”

He further explained that marathons have a unique ability to inspire social sharing, with participants often posting about their experiences, creating organic content that amplifies the brand’s message.

This user-generated content extends the brand’s visibility, reaching new audiences and encouraging participation in future events, expanding its reach beyond the race day itself.

Joshi elaborated on the goals brands aim to achieve through marathons. He noted that the main objectives are brand visibility, product positioning, and ultimately driving sales. “Philanthropists also sponsor events to maintain public visibility,” Joshi added.

He also explained that calculating the precise ROI from marathons is challenging, brands generally assess it through metrics like participation numbers, event production quality, participant feedback, and digital views. These elements help measure the impact of their investment, even in the absence of direct televised engagement.

Singh further explained the unique value propositions marathons offer. He said, “Television's evolution of sports happens over a sustained time. Sports like football, basketball and even cricket took multiple decades for the sport to develop its bearings and to build a grammar for audiences to engage with.”

He elaborated that while spectator sports are heavily invested in a spurt on LIVE sports day, participative sports like running open opportunities far wider and deeper that span multiple months of the year. So, while the key objective at a sport like cricket could be quickfire attention monetisation on match days, distance running through strategic brand association opens an opportunity to build on values, ethics, discipline and other facets to build and own in the consumer mind over a sustained period. 

The social equity that is earned by being part of the sponsorship on ground can be multiplied many times over by adding the layer of television - that amplifies and reinforces values way beyond race day. - Vivek Singh

He shared that there are elements within the sport of distance running that are peerless. “This is a sport that involves people who are otherwise in the audience. They get recognised, feted and celebrated. Each of these are aspects that can be captured on LIVE broadcasts, across day parts on television for months and shared on social media with high credibility/validation,” Singh added. 

Marathons also help accumulating data on spend done by runners on different items in their running or fitness program throughout the year.

Singh shared findings from a special Economic Social Health Impact Report that Procam released along with IISM at the end of the Tata Mumbai Marathon.  

  • Maximum runners wore shoes that were worth more than INR 10,000 runners.

  • 74% of participants typically buy 0 to 3 pairs of running shoes annually, indicating a trend of utility-driven purchases for sports shoes. 19% purchase 4 to 6 pairs, while 6% buy 7 to 12 pairs yearly.

  • 78% rely on technology and use apps/ gear to track their run.

He shared that this data certainly gives some indication of the purchasing power of amateur runners and their willingness to enhance their performance. 

Racing ahead

As marathons continue to grow in popularity, they offer a unique platform for brands to build deep, authentic connections with their audiences. In an era of cluttered advertising and fleeting attention spans, marathons present an opportunity for brands to engage in meaningful ways, by standing for values that resonate with consumers and making a tangible difference in their lives.

In the coming years, experts anticipate a shift towards even more personalised and authentic content where brands will leverage the marathon experience to craft compelling narratives. The emphasis will move from simply promoting products to creating impactful content that resonates with individual aspirations and aligns with the lifestyle choices of participants.

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