Why Don’t Many People Bet on Running Races?

Lots of people like betting on races – but it’s betting on horse racing, greyhound racing, or even motorsports. However, actual human races—such as marathons, sprints, and endurance events—are a lot less popular in the betting world.

Obviously, betting on human athletic competitions does exist, and it is out there – bit it has never really gained widespread traction. You don’t ever see adverts on TV advertising the latest London Marathon betting odds, for example. But why? Given that these events attract some of the very best athletes in the world, why don’t they attract those bettors as well?

No Proper Betting Infrastructure

One of the main reasons that betting on human races is so uncommon is because there isn’t a particularly well-developed betting infrastructure. Most sportsbooks tend to focus on popular sports like football, basketball, and horse racing – and don’t leave a lot of room for betting markets on things such as marathons or track and field events. Although some major events – like the Olympics or World Championships- will have a few betting options, they’re pretty rare and not really promoted.

Unpredictability and Integrity Issues

Unlike betting on horse racing or greyhound racing, where performance can be relatively predictable – based on training, pedigree, and track conditions- human races can be incredibly unpredictable. There are all sorts of external factors, like injuries, fatigue, and even the runner’s psychological state, that can have a massive impact on how they perform. Then there are the concerns about race-fixing, doping, and various other integrity issues that can make sportsbooks a bit hesitant in offering too many markets on human races.

Limited Year-Round Events

Human races don’t take place as often as horse racing or greyhound racing. Of course, races like the Kentucky Derby or the Grand National are only once a year, but horse racing events happen practically every single day in different parts of the world. In contrast, major human racing events – like marathons or Olympic track events- tend to be seasonal and limited to just a few major competitions per year, which makes it difficult for a sportsbook to sustain consistent betting markets.

Lack of Public Interest

I hate to say it, but it’s usually only really runners that are interested in running races – and betting markets are all about popular demand. While sports like football, basketball and tennis attract literally millions of wagers, human races just don’t garner the same level of excitement.

While the major marathons – like the London Marathon, Boston Marathon or the New York City Marathon attract a lot of interest, they don’t really have that fast-paced action and unpredictability that make sports like football or horse racing as exciting for punters. The slow buildup and long duration of these races don’t necessarily give punters the adrenaline they’re after..

Trying to Establish Fair Odds

If they want to attract punters but still minimise their risks, sportsbooks have to set fair and competitive odds. In horse racing, the odds are set based on an in-depth analysis of how they’ve performed in the past, track conditions, and the pedigree of the horses.

Human races, on the other hand, are influenced by other factors that can be really tricky to quantify – things like the athlete’s personal motivation, weather conditions, and whether they’re recovering from injury.  This means that trying to set accurate odds can be tricky – hence bookies not offering so many betting options.

Prestige Over Gambling

A lot of the world’s most famous human races are more about tradition, prestige, and athletic excellence – not about trying to create betting opportunities. Events like the Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships are there to celebrate the spirit of competition rather than encourage people to gamble on the outcome. Indeed, often, the organizers of these events try to avoid being associated with sportsbooks – as they want to maintain the integrity of their sport and make it more about the incredible achievements of the athletes.

Alternatives

It seems that while there will always be a few running race betting options, if you’re really looking to bet on speed and competition, you might need to go for an alternative. Whether it be horse racing, motorsports, or even esports, there’s always plenty of action. For now, running is just about the athletes – and maybe that’s just the way it should stay.

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