A month before The Running Event (TRE) holds its final show in Austin, Texas, event director Christina Henderson led a group of brands, retailers and select media on a tour through its home for 2025, the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.
Though Henderson admitted Austin has been good to TRE, renovations to the Austin Convention Center forced it to look for a new location. Henderson said that before ultimately landing on San Antonio, TRE also considered New Orleans and Charlotte, N.C.
“We chose San Antonio because it was a large enough city to host us and host a growing event, but it was small enough to create that community feel,” Henderson told FN. “The convention center is on the River Walk, and all hotels are within walking distance. That creates opportunities for connection and networking. With larger cities, you can lose that.”
The new venue, however, is ideal for a show that continues to grow.
The floor space for the event in 2025 is cumulatively larger in San Antonio, and TRE will span three exhibit halls within Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Two of the halls have direct access via escalator to the second-floor meeting and conference spaces for when more privacy is needed. TRE will also make use of the third-floor ballroom to host the keynote speaker, awards dinner and more, as well as the LDR ballroom and the outdoor grotto space on the River Walk.
“This venue accommodates more of what TRE’s needs are,” said Chris Farley, owner of retailer Pacers Running, with locations in Washington, D.C., and Virginia. “In Austin, the meeting spaces were disjointed. Here, this is big, but it feels like everything is more consolidated in one spot. From a logistics standpoint, I’m optimistic about the change.”
As for plans beyond 2025, Henderson stated TRE will share them “in the next year.”
“This is a big deal, that we’re moving the event,” Henderson said. “We want people to focus on this year and then what San Antonio can be. It’s a major change, so we want to ensure success and then share future plans.”
As TRE introduces its new home, it is also preparing for the debut of Switchback as a standalone event. The outdoor-focused trade show and conference, which began as a section within TRE, will take place June 16-18, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn., at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
“The needs of the [outdoor] industry are different from what they were five or 15 years ago. We’re looking at each piece with fresh eyes, with new perspective,” Henderson said. “We want to build the modern trade show, something for the next generation of people working in the outdoor industry.”
Before it departs for San Antonio, TRE will host one more show in Austin, which Henderson said will be its largest to date. She stated the exhibit floor will be larger than ever, allowing not only for more brands to present but to also occupy more space for showcasing product.
The mix of specialty retailers — which includes run, outdoor and sit-and-fit — will look the same, Henderson said; however, retail attendance is trending roughly 10-20 percent ahead of last year, and there will be more media than ever before “by a significant margin.”
Aside from the event’s evolution, Henderson said she’s noticed several differences in what’s driving the business today, most notably a crossover in lifestyle and running. Performance footwear is widely accepted as fashion, for instance, and more apparel is being influenced by running. So much so that Henderson is fielding more questions about apparel from retailers than ever before.
Also, the image of a runner has changed dramatically. “Consumers run, but most now — and especially in the next generation — do many other things in addition to that, so we’re seeing a shift at retail in product offerings,” Henderson explained. “Yes, you’re a runner, but you also hike and do yoga on the weekends and go to brunch with friends and you like to wear athleisure clothes.”
What has also changed is participation. According to the Sports & Fitness Association (SFIA), the number of casual runners — defined as those who run one to 49 times a year — was greater in 2023 than core runners who run 50 or more times, when historically it has been
the reverse.
In fact, SFIA reported there were 24.2 million casual runners in 2023, a 1.7 percent increase over the year prior.
“We’re removing core and casual from our vernacular, and running is feeling more inviting to all,” Henderson said. “It’s not like you must go run a marathon to be a runner. We are seeing a shift in how people categorize themselves.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
