Milestones in participation sports reflect expanding global influence
Zug, Switzerland - The year 2024 marked a significant milestone for Infront’s Active Lifestyle unit, with over one million participants engaging across more than 155 events globally — a 30% growth compared to 2023. This achievement highlights the resilience and growth of participation sports post-pandemic, as well as Infront’s ability to consistently adapt, innovate and grow within the mass participation sports space.
Infront’s Active Lifestyle performance in 2024 underscores several key trends shaping the market:
- Globalization of Active Lifestyle Events: Expansion into new markets such as Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Latin America demonstrates the universal appeal of participation sports.
- Integration of Ecosystems: Events like HYROX highlight the growing emphasis on creating all-encompassing platforms and communities that extend far beyond the event day itself.
- Digital Innovation and Personalization: Technology-driven solutions are increasingly central to participant experiences and sponsor touchpoints.
With an ever-growing portfolio of 18 IP-related properties and strategic global partnerships, Infront continues to align its vision of promoting a more active and healthier world with the broader market demand for immersive, community-driven experiences. This performance underlines the increasing appeal of active lifestyle events for both participants and stakeholders, as well as the sector’s role in fostering engagement, wellness, and economic impact on a global scale.
What’s driving growth in the mass participation sports market HYROX: The rise of fitness racing
The fitness racing phenomenon HYROX exemplifies the surging interest in fitness-forward, inclusive events. In 2024, HYROX welcomed more than 325,000 participants across nearly 60 events in 25 markets, achieving a remarkable 150% growth over the previous year. Expanding into China, India, Brazil, and Japan, HYROX shapes the global sport of fitness racing and becoming a globally leading brand in the world of fitness.
Beyond events, HYROX’s ecosystem has grown to include media, gym affiliations, coaching platforms, and partnerships with leading brands and fitness equipment providers, signalling a shift in participation sports towards comprehensive, community and lifestyle-driven models. These elements collectively create new avenues for long-term community building, participants and audience engagement and set the stage for deeper market integration.
Running ecosystem milestones
Besides fitness, Running remains a key cornerstone of Infront’s portfolio, with events like the TCS Sydney Marathon achieving a historic milestone as the seventh member of the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) series. Similarly, the Cape Town Marathon made substantial progress toward AWMM inclusion, reflecting Africa’s growing prominence in global running. The launch of the Shanghai Marathon AWMM candidacy further demonstrates Infront’s role in developing running events on a global scale and shaping the world of running.
The rise of these running events not only elevate the profile of their host cities but also highlight how partnerships with well-executed running events can drive economic impact, urban engagement, and worldwide visibility – creating long-term value for all stakeholders involved.
Digital and experiential innovations drive growth and connect communities
In 2024, Infront’s digital photography solutions, through Sportograf and MarathonFoto, reached unprecedented scale, producing more than 125 million images at over 1,300 events, and serving more than 750,000 participants. By bridging technology with personalization, these services reflect a core element of the overall event experience and deepen participants’ emotional connection to events while offering event organizers and partners valuable tools for engagement.
Expanding event experiences
Meanwhile, Infront’s focus on creating varied, emotional, and unforgettable experiences remains a central pillar. Highlights from 2024 include:
- XLETIX, XLETIX Kids and Muddy Angel Runs, combining physical challenges with inclusive, family-oriented formats, attracted over 250,000 participants across Europe.
- Threshold Sports’ London to Brighton Cycle, one of Europe’s oldest fundraising rides, celebrated a standout year with over 10,000 cyclists, contributing to millions raised for charity. The Ultra 50:50 campaign to increase female participation in ultra-marathons was also a standout moment. Not only did the female participation increase by 13%, but the white paper is also now being used as the blueprint across the industry for improving gender balance from 5km to 100km+.
- With more than 50,000 participants at its leading urban hiking events, the Megamarsch series reached a new record level and reflects now the biggest series in Europe of its kind. The series continued to be promoted by leading outdoor industry partner Columbia Sports.
- The B2Run series, Europe’s largest corporate running platform, connected 295,000 participants and championed workplace wellness while promoting team and community building.
Together, these events reflect the growing appetite for inclusive and meaningful participation experiences that blend fitness, community, and impact.
“We take immense pride in the progress achieved this year by our growing, global teams,” said Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Senior Vice President Infront Active Lifestyle. “Through collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to promoting a healthier, more active world, we have not only reached significant milestones but laid the groundwork for sustainable growth and actively shaping the future of fitness, running and participation sports. The opportunities ahead for participants, partners, and the broader community are vast – let’s capture them.”
