People looking to combine sports and fitness with their travel goals are driving a huge surge in interest in breaks where running and racing is part of the attraction, according to data from Google and Tripadvisor. The phenomenon is being dubbed the rise of the “race-cation” by commentators.
The autumn season brings a wealth of sporting events to Europe—42% of the marathon calendar in fact— including the Berlin marathon in September, as well as those in Amsterdam, Budapest, Lisbon, and Munich in October, and more. That’s alongside fitness races across cities as varied as Birmingham, Bordeaux, Karlsruhe, Oslo, and Valencia, among others, promoted by HYROX, a running community that has gained tens of thousands of members since its 2017 launch.
The rising popularity of running can be traced online on platforms like TikTok, where posts giving travel advice linked to international Hyrox races, go viral. The movement is also evident in Strava data that shows new running clubs nearly quadrupled in 2025, pushing the platform past one million total active groups, with worldwide participation jumping 59% year-on-year.
Runners are increasingly taking that passion on leisure trips with them, according to Google searches for “marathon abroad” which have seen a 1,255% increase in the past year. One Bókun analysis of 30-day Google Trends data linking spikes in queries about short city breaks to destinations where marathons and fitness events are taking place.
Examples shared included Hamburg, which is hosting a HYROX event at the end of October. The “What to do for a day in Hamburg” search term had a 500% surge in Google searches, while Lisbon was up 400%, and Munich too by 250%. Berlin also enjoyed a 119% increase in similar interest, as did Budapest (+84%), and Amsterdam (+70%).
The apparent rise of running as a leisure activity and the desire to combine it with a travel experience, tie in with wider trend data showing travel consumers are increasingly seeking to immerse themselves in the culture and events scenes of the places they visit, whether that means finding sport, music, gastronomy, or other leisure interests that they can take part in while they are away.
Meanwhile, those seeking a bargain break who do not mind missing marathon dates or big events, could find room rates are cheaper and less pressure on tickets if they can avoid key moments in the calendar.
For industry stakeholders, there is a new segment to address with products and experiences that appeal to them, and for destinations, events present a way to tempt visitors to consider a trip beyond the usual seasonal limits. As Samuel Jefferies at Bókun said: “The rise of racecations presents an exciting opportunity to attract new customers and drive bookings beyond the traditional summer peak.”
