If you’ve been scrolling through your social media feeds recently, you couldn’t miss it: an explosion of stories, proud and tired legs, collective selfies and medals held high like symbols of personal triumph. Running is more visible than ever and more significant.

Today, running is no longer just a sport. It’s a cultural ritual, a social language, a shared story that shows up on Strava, Instagram or over a coffee. And that’s exactly what Insightive, the new strategic insights division of Brand New Day, set out to explore.

Why do people run in 2025? What does it reveal about deeper aspirations? And what can brands learn from this?

Insightive: turning data into meaningful action
Insightive was born from the needs of our clients, providing digital market research rooted in real-world behavior. We go beyond generic dashboards and static KPIs to reveal:
• Deeper aspirations
• Emerging cultural shifts
• Subtle signals that help anticipate what’s next

Our approach was honed over years of working with leading brands like Mercedes-Benz Benelux, Delhaize, Geberit and, most recently, Alpine.

We combine:
• Audience intelligence with exclusive tools like SoPRISM and Audiense
• Quantitative and qualitative competitive analysis
• Strategic decoding by senior experts who turn insights into real-world decisions

“As marketers, we’re surrounded by data. But what really matters is how we use it. At Insightive, we connect data to your real-world challenges: understanding audiences, anticipating cultural shifts and making decisions with confidence before the competition does.”
— Sabina Gishvarova, Managing Director of Brand New Day

The State of Running: when movement becomes a lifestyle
To mark its launch, Insightive chose to focus on the world of running, a powerful lens for understanding consumer behavior today.
The report “The State of Running” offers a detailed, actionable view of this evolving community:
• 55.8% of runners are women, connected and driven by wellness and community
• Running has become more than exercise; it’s a ritual, a release, a story shared with others
• Four behavioral profiles emerge, from pure competitors to creative Vibe Runners and morning ritual seekers
• The most successful brands aren’t always the loudest but those that create genuine emotional connections, like Puma, Satisfy, OYSHO and Craft

Content that resonates
Insightive analyzed over 1,000 organic posts from running brands on Instagram between January and May 2025 to identify the formats that really work:
• Emotional reels and carousels are driving the highest engagement, yet few brands are using them to their full potential
• The most powerful campaigns aren’t always the most polished; they’re the ones that feel real, human and relatable
• Local running clubs are turning into cultural hubs, creating connections that go far beyond sport itself

Insightive: helping brands run with the trends, not chase them

“This report isn’t just for sports brands. It’s about values, behaviors and lifestyles — and how any brand can create real, authentic connections with today’s audiences.”
— Giacomo Citton, Business Developer, Insightive

The report is just as relevant for lifestyle, FMCG, food, health, tech, luxury and mobility brands and for any team looking to translate cultural insights into competitive advantage.

Get the full report
For marketers, planners, strategists and sponsors ready to understand what running tells us about consumers in 2025, the full report “The State of Running” is now available: