41% of Millennials and Zoomers want to run an average of 5 sporting events
- Only 2% of Romanians exercise regularly;
- With 62% of Romanians not exercising, we are ranked 4th in the EU for sedentary lifestyles;
- In 2023, 43% of Millennials and Zoomers (Gen Z) runners globally have signed up for sports competitions to stay motivated and physically active;
- 77% of Generation Z runners feel more connected with others when they find their friends or relatives in sports apps;
Brasov, 6 March 2024
With official data showing that 62% of Romanians do not practice any physical activity, Brasov Running Festival, the most important running festival in Romania, is increasingly betting on the younger generation to bring a new breath to the local sports landscape. These estimates are also supported by the Strava study and The Mass Participation Pulse, conducted by Massive.
According to Massive*, the number of amateur runners in Europe participating in sports events in 2023 has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 41% of them expressing their intention to participate in at least 5 sports events in 2024, despite the financial difficulties caused by inflation. The report also shows that 18-34 year olds are increasingly open to running events, including in Romania.
Running is also the most popular sport uploaded to social fitness platforms, according to the latest global survey by Strava** - Year in Sport, October 2022-September 2023, which shows that 43% of Millennials and Zoomers (Gen Z) signed up for running events last year to stay motivated in their relationship with sport.
"Committing to a sporting event is an important step to combat a lack of motivation, as a person will establish a recurring training plan, preparing themselves, physically and mentally, for the competition. In fact, if we look at the statistics provided by Strava, the largest online sports aggregator at the moment, we find that 90% of amateur runners find that a carefully constructed routine helps them to practice the sport regularly", said Daniel Santa, director of the Brasov Running Festival competition.
According to him, Romania needs, more than ever, a general revitalisation of sport, as the European Commission shows, in the last Eurobarometer published in 2022***, that 62% of Romanians do not practice any sport, while only 2% exercise regularly, down by 4% compared to the last survey published in 2017. More sedentary than Romanians are Poles, Greeks and Portuguese. At the other end of the spectrum, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg are the most active regions, with less than 20% of the population not exercising.
Looking at the main reasons why Europeans don't do sport, 38% of Romanians say they don't have the time, and if they choose to be physically active, 22% go to parks or outdoor areas, looking for community or meeting friends and acquaintances.
Athletics gives a sense of community
Running not only discourages sedentary lifestyles but also connects the runner to the community. In this sense, Brasov Running Festival, an event that celebrates running in the heart of Transylvania, aims to bring together the Brasov community, as well as running communities nationwide and from over 11 European and non-European countries.
"Athletics is a paradox in the world of sport because, despite its individual character, it is a sport that brings communities together. We have noticed that in the last two years there has been a visible appetite for running among Romanians, and the trend is to find a training partner to increase physical, social and emotional motivation. In our communication Brașov Running Festival we take care to remind people that running also involves a dose of "fun", in addition to the health benefits, and we encourage them to train with friends or communities in the city", added Daniel Santa.
Apps or platforms created for social fitness have a significant contribution to make, as sharing running sessions, routes or workouts helps combat feelings of loneliness. According to the Strava report, 77% of Generation Z runners feel more connected with others when they find their friends, relatives or colleagues on sports apps, and 41% of them prefer to train with a friend.
*https://wearemassive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/THE-MASS-PARTICPATION-PULSE-REPORT-24.pdf
** https://press.strava.com/articles/strava-releases-year-in-sport-trend-report
*** https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2668
About Brasov Running Festival
Brasov Running Festival is the most important athletic event in the World Athletics calendar in South-East Europe. The competition, held in Brasov, starting in 2021, features an annual World Athletics Elite Label accredited 10km road running race entitled "tRUNsylvania International 10K". Beyond that, the running festival also includes a multitude of other races aimed at amateurs, children and professionals.
Races are run on a 3,494m loop, using the same finish line but with starting points that vary depending on the length of the leg. In 2023, Brasov Running Festival also organised for the first time the one mile race - "European Road Mile", in which more than 20 European athletes from countries such as Turkey, Ireland, Holland, Italy, Austria, Greece, Bulgaria competed.
