Research: The Social Media Running and Fitness Report

Want to learn about running?

If the answer is yes, then step off that treadmill, untie your trainer laces and pull open your laptop.

We’ve spent the last year and a half collecting millions of Tweets, not blisters, to discover how social runners run.

Our latest report: The Social Media Running Report, reveals all.

18 months ago we started to notice the huge increase in automated running tweets.

These posts revealed a treasure chest of data including the running distance, the running time and the running app used.

Using Brandwatch Analytics we uncovered data revealing the runners demographics, perseverance over time and long term trends.

All in all, we found some pretty interesting stuff.

Here’s what you’ll discover if you download the report: 

• Gender: Male outnumbered female runners in the data 70:30
• Professions: Sales, marketing and PR were professions most associated with fitness app running
• Persistence: Runners who persevered through the first 10 days were 50% more likely to continue long term
• Commitment: Long term runners exercised earlier, including before work on weekdays
• Trends: During the first four months, distance and frequency were not good indicators of long term running success

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Perseverance: Runners, keep at it!

Our data helped prove an anecdotal theory that early persistence can deliver long term success.

Social media fitness data clearly shows how perseverance during the first 10 days for runners can significantly increase the likelihood of them continuing to run in the future.

In fact, getting through the first 10 days of running makes runners 50% more likely to continue in the long term.

Time: When to run?

If persistence is key, another problem comes to the fore. How do busy runners find the time?

For both long and short term runners, the rush hour is early evening between Monday and Friday and mid-morning during the weekends, scheduled around work and daytime commitments.

Understanding when runners run can help socially active fitness brands schedule promotional activities to match their customers’ schedule.

Temperature: Hot vs cold

Pairing running Tweets with UK temperature records shows seasonal exercise trends.

Running mentions were most common whilst temperatures rose in spring.

However, from August onwards, when temperatures began to drop, so too did the volume of Tweets about running.

Interestingly, no negative correlation was found between running rates and precipitation. Brits are clearly well accustomed to their saturated climate.

This research provides an eye-opening view into the running world.

Use it to benchmark your running habits, discover what differentiates the best and worst runner, learn when to exercise, and much more.

Or if you’re a fitness brand, read it to understand how you can optimize your content calendar, find churn rate tipping points and customize promotional activities to increase customer lifetime value.

Download the report to find out more.