Marathon running is having a landmark year.
In April, the first official sub-two-hour marathon was recorded in London, helping propel the sport further into the global spotlight.
This October and November, attention turns to the Chicago and New York marathons, two of the largest races in the world, attracting tens of thousands of runners and spectator crowds estimated in the millions.
New data from Amadeus Travel Intelligence reveals that travel indicators showing air and hotel demand are rising around these key dates.
Domestic air travel is set to increase on the weeks of the Chicago (+13 per cent) and New York (+45 per cent) marathons, and hotel data from Amadeus Demand360 shows hotel occupancy in Chicago the marathon weekend (Fri – Sun) currently at 86 per cent and an average daily rate of $364.
On-the-books occupancy is 1.8 per cent ahead of same-time-last-year and the ADR is 10.2 per cent higher.
New York City is pacing -0.7 per cent occupancy compared to same-time-last-year at 58.1 per cent, however, the average daily rate has increased by +12.4 per cent up to $369.
New York draws demand from Italy, Brazil and Sweden
Analysis from Amadeus Travel Intelligence reveals that travellers from different corners of the world are coming into New York and Chicago during the dates of the marathons.
The top inbound markets for the New York marathon highlight a diverse picture of global travel.
Within this, there are key pockets of growing demand in several cities, like Rome (+48 per cent), Sao Paulo (+34 per cent) and Milan (+12 per cent).
“On-trip wellness and fitness is no longer an afterthought for travellers, it is now a driving force of travel itself.
“Events such as marathons create short, precise windows of demand, making data-driven insight increasingly important for hoteliers and destinations to identify audiences, target demand effectively and optimise operations.
“By combining actionable data with targeted advertising, hotels can better connect with wellness-minded travellers and maximise the opportunity created by these major events,” said Jill Boegel, senior vice president of commercial, Americas, hospitality, Amadeus.
Both marathons draw increased demand from India
India is a sizeable source market growing at both marathon locations.
Arrivals from India to Chicago during the race window are up +14 per cent year on year, and make up 3.8 per cent of the city’s international arrivals.
Into New York, Indian arrivals are up +12 per cent, Delhi leads Chicago growth at +30 per cent.
Chris Heywood, senior vice president, public relations and chief communications officer at Brand USA, added: “Sport can be fantastically unifying.
“This year, in the USA we’ve seen the power of sports up close as the world’s largest soccer tournament unfolded over summer.
“Travellers from around the world came together to support their teams, explore new cities and experience American hospitality.
“It’s terrific to see events like the Abbott marathons continue to draw in runners and spectators from around the world as well as increased demand from fellow US travellers.
“I hope to see this trend continue and deepen – perhaps with attendees spending taking extra days around the race weekend to see what these great cities and even destinations beyond have to offer.”
