128 years ago today was the first running of what has become known as the Boston Marathon.
“Boston” as it’s known in the running world has become the longest running Marathon in the world, the holy grail of the sport.
It is so popular every entrant must qualify in order to participate.
If we reverse engineer the number of qualified runners, 20,000+, backward to the number of people who try to qualify, the number is HUGE!
Chances are good that you have people in your tribe who would love to experience the Boston Marathon.
I did in my business – lots of them.
If we step back another couple of steps, the whole running market is huge.
I have run a number of marathons, two of them competitively, but the running was a means to an end.
My holy grail of competition was the Ironman World Triathlon Championships in Kona, Hawaii, and the marathon (the final leg of the triathlon) was simply the final leg of the event.
Add the number of triathletes in this country with the number of runners and the total is mind-boggling.
This number represents a very big potential market.
In my marketing strategies and plans, I marketed specifically to these people.
Why not?
They need our services. I can tell you from personal history that Marathoners and Triathletes need a good, balanced program.
Constant long, steady distance training is not good for the body in the long term.
A good balanced general fitness program will actually help the average runner be healthier and achieve their goals quicker.
But a word of caution first. A marketing program that points out the flaws of running is a very difficult thing to sell to a runner. I know, I tried it. 🙂
A much better course of action is to market the benefits of adding a strength component to the runner’s regime. Let them see for themselves.
They will spread the word for you.
And that’s the best marketing of all!
If you have runners in Boston today, start by making a big deal of this to your tribe.
It is a huge accomplishment!
Want a couple more ideas on how to market to this group? Check out my daily business tips here.
Remember, you only get results when you take action on your ideas!
Ron “Admiration for Boston” Gordon
