Running is having a golden moment. This month, Birmingham hosted the European Athletics Championships for the first time on UK soil, and on the final day thousands of ordinary runners took over the city's streets in a mass-participation "Unity 5K", following the same route as the elite marathon. It was a perfect snapshot of where the sport is right now: world-class athletes and everyday beginners, united by the same simple act of lacing up and going.
From parkrun to Couch to 5K, running has quietly become one of the world's great fitness movements. This guide looks at how the boom took off, and, for investors, the honest truth about the brands trying to cash in on it (Nike, On, Hoka and more), because a booming sport doesn't automatically mean booming stocks. It's an engaging look at a cultural trend with an investing lens, not investment advice. If it leaves you curious about the listed brands, you can invest in sports stocks from just $1 with zero commission on the Nemo.money app.
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The Rise of a Global Movement
Running's appeal is its simplicity: no membership, no equipment beyond a pair of shoes, and you can do it almost anywhere. That accessibility has powered a genuine global surge:
- 🏃 Grassroots events exploded. Free, community-run events like parkrun (weekly timed 5Ks held in parks worldwide) have turned running into a weekend social ritual for millions, welcoming everyone from elite athletes to first-time joggers and walkers.
- 📱 "Couch to 5K" lowered the barrier. Beginner programmes like Couch to 5K, designed to take a complete newcomer to running 5 kilometres in a few weeks, made the sport feel achievable for people who'd never run before.
- 🎉 Big events inspire the masses. Marquee competitions like Birmingham's European Championships, complete with public "run the same route" events, connect elite inspiration to everyday participation.
- 💪 A broader wellness shift. Running sits at the heart of a wider move toward health, community and low-cost, screen-free activity, part of why it keeps drawing new converts.
The result is a sport that's booming at every level, and that popularity is showing up hard in the numbers, especially in what people are buying on their feet.
The Boom Is Real, and Visible in the Data
This isn't just vibes. The running-shoe market has been one of the standout stories in consumer spending:
- 📈 Running shoes are flying off shelves. US running-shoe sales rose around 13% in the first half of 2026, against roughly 1% growth for footwear overall, a striking outperformance.
- 🌍 It's a global, structural trend. Brands across the world point to "secular fitness trends", lasting shifts in behaviour, rather than a passing fad, as the engine behind running's growth.
- 👟 New brands have surged. Specialist names like On and Hoka have grown rapidly by focusing on performance, innovation and premium positioning, reshaping who leads the category.
So if the sport is booming and shoes are selling, investing in the brands must be a slam dunk, right? Not so fast. This is where it gets genuinely interesting.
The Honest Truth: A Booming Sport Isn't a Booming Stock
Here's the counter-intuitive part every investor should sit with. Despite the running boom, the shares of the big listed running brands have mostly had a tough time. The sport growing does not automatically mean the stocks grow. Here are the main listed players, as examples to research, not recommendations:
- 👟 Nike (NYSE: NKE). The giant of the industry, its stock recently hit a 12-year low, hurt by weak China sales, tough competition and a slow turnaround. Yet, tellingly, Nike's running category specifically has grown for several straight quarters, a reminder that even a struggling company can have a thriving division. (We explore Nike's slump in depth in our piece on why a great brand isn't always a great stock.)
- 🏔️ On Holding (NYSE: ONON). The fast-growing Swiss challenger (founded by a former triathlon champion) has posted rapid revenue growth. But its shares have been volatile, falling sharply at times when sales missed lofty expectations, because the stock trades at a premium valuation that leaves little room for disappointment.
- 🥾 Deckers Outdoor (NYSE: DECK), owner of Hoka. Hoka has driven record sales for Deckers, though its once-explosive growth has been moderating. The stock has pulled back over the past year even as the brand keeps gaining fans.
- 🌐 Others in the race. Adidas (OTC: ADDYY), Amer Sports (NYSE: AS, owner of Salomon), and Lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) all compete for a slice of the fitness wallet, while beloved running brands like Brooks (privately owned by Berkshire Hathaway) and Asics aren't straightforward to buy as US-listed stocks at all.
Why the disconnect? A few reasons: intense competition means the boom's spoils are split among many brands (and shift quickly); valuation matters enormously (a fast-growing brand can still be a poor investment if its shares are already priced for perfection); and company-specific issues (like Nike's China weakness) can outweigh a rising tide.
The Investing Lesson: A Theme Is Not a Stock
Running's boom is a textbook example of one of investing's most important truths:
- 🧠 A growing trend doesn't guarantee a growing stock. You can be completely right that running is booming and still lose money picking the wrong brand at the wrong price. The theme and the stock are two different things.
- 💰 Price is everything. A wonderful, fast-growing brand bought at too high a valuation can disappoint, while an unloved one can surprise. What you pay matters as much as what you buy.
- 🔀 Winners rotate. Today's hot brand can be tomorrow's laggard as tastes shift and rivals respond. Concentrated bets on a single "winner" carry real risk.
- 🧩 Diversification tames theme risk. This is one reason some investors prefer funds or ETFs that hold a basket of consumer or apparel companies, capturing a trend without betting everything on one name (all investments still carry risk).
The disciplined takeaway: enjoy the run, and if the brands interest you as investments, research each business and its valuation individually, rather than assuming a booming sport lifts every stock.
How to Research These Stocks with Nemo.money
Whether you're following Nike, On, Hoka or the wider fitness theme, the Nemo.money app is built to help you research before you decide:
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is running so popular right now?
Running has boomed because it's simple, cheap and accessible, no membership or equipment needed beyond shoes. Grassroots events like parkrun and beginner programmes like Couch to 5K have welcomed millions of newcomers, while big competitions (such as Birmingham's 2026 European Athletics Championships, which included a mass-participation Unity 5K) inspire everyday participation. It also fits a wider shift toward health, community and low-cost, screen-free activity. This is general information about the trend.
Is the running boom real, or just hype?
It's real and measurable. US running-shoe sales rose around 13% in the first half of 2026, versus roughly 1% for footwear overall, and brands across the world attribute growth to lasting "secular fitness trends" rather than a passing fad. Participation in grassroots running events has also grown strongly. That said, trends can moderate over time, so investors shouldn't assume growth continues in a straight line.
What are the main running-brand stocks?
The major US-listed players include Nike (NKE), On Holding (ONON), and Deckers Outdoor (DECK, which owns Hoka), along with Adidas (ADDYY), Amer Sports (AS, owner of Salomon) and Lululemon (LULU). Some beloved running brands, like Brooks (owned by Berkshire Hathaway) and Asics, aren't straightforward to buy as standalone US-listed stocks. All of these are examples to research, not recommendations, and your capital is at risk.
If running is booming, why have the stocks fallen?
Because a booming sport doesn't automatically mean booming stocks. The growth is split among many fiercely competing brands, winners can rotate quickly, and valuation matters enormously, a fast-growing brand priced for perfection can still fall on any disappointment. Company-specific problems (like Nike's weakness in China) can also outweigh the wider trend. It's a classic case of a strong theme not guaranteeing strong individual stocks. This is not advice.
How can I invest in running or fitness brands?
Most investors buy individual shares (like NKE, ONON or DECK) or funds and ETFs that hold a basket of consumer or apparel companies, which spreads the risk of betting on a single brand. Apps like Nemo.money let you research and invest in sports stocks and ETFs from just $1 with zero commission.
Final Thoughts: Love the Sport, Scrutinise the Stock
The running boom is a genuinely uplifting story, a global movement that has turned millions of people, from parkrun first-timers to European Championship marathoners, into runners. As a cultural and health phenomenon, it deserves the enthusiasm it's generating.
As an investment theme, though, it carries the same timeless lesson as any other: a booming sport is not a booming stock. The brands are competing hard, valuations vary wildly, and many of these shares have fallen even as the sport has soared. If you find the fitness trend compelling, that's a great starting point, but the work is in judging each brand's business and its price on their own merits. Love the sport with your heart; scrutinise the stocks with a cool head.
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This is not investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Your capital is at risk. See website for Risk Disclosure. Exinity ME Ltd (https://nemo.money) is regulated by ADGM's Financial Services Regulatory Authority.
