The International Running Expo made its debut in Amsterdam – and it didn’t tiptoe in. It charged through the doors of the RAI on 4–5 November and instantly set a new pace for the business of running. Powered by SCOTT Sports, it became Europe’s first true B2B event for the sport, drawing thousands from across the continent and beyond.

And don’t be mistaken as this wasn’t your typical garden-variety expo with lukewarm coffee and colder handshakes. The International Running Expo felt like a starting pistol indoors—brains, quads, and brands all hammering after the same prize: keeping the planet in motion. In forty-eight breathless hours they traded ideas, thumped treadmills, and shook on deals that could redraw the running map for the next decade.

The First Lap: Energy, Ideas, and Ice Baths

Day one opened under the easy charm of endurance legend Susie Chan, who kept things ticking along with her trademark warmth. There were live podcasts and fireside chats with Dean Karnazes and Scott Jurek – two names that can still make even seasoned ultrarunners sit up straight – along with content creator Yana Strese, who brought a fresh perspective from the digital side of the sport.

Talks on sustainability, tech innovation, and the global growth of running were mixed with movement sessions that could’ve come straight from a wellness retreat. Delegates joined the CEP morning run, swapped notes during yoga, dunked themselves in ice baths, and even squeezed in a BrandLABs workshop before winding down at the Sip & Social hour.

As night fell, the crowd headed to De Hallen Studios for The Cool Down Party – sponsored by ISPO – and it was anything but a quiet networking hour. The music was lively and properly entertaining, with an Oktoberfest-style buzz thanks to the brilliantly animated German band the SUDHERS.

They set the tone, the playlists rolled, and the dancefloor did what runners do best: kept moving. It was the kind of finale that made the day feel less like a trade show and more like the running industry finally getting to enjoy itself and let its hair down.

Day Two: Retail, Reality, and the Road Ahead

The second day started briskly with Intersport CEO Tom Foley in conversation with Runner’s World Editor Urs Webber, dissecting the new shape of global sports retail. What followed was a mix of serious business talk and off-the-record honesty. Live podcast sessions from Borderlands and Bad Boy Running added plenty of character, with Scott Jurek, Josh Rosenthal, and Jurrie Van De Velden trading stories and laughs.

Then came Mădălina Florea, SCOTT athlete and reigning Golden Trail Series Champion, who spoke with the kind of grit and grace you can only get from someone who’s spent real miles in the mountains.

Panel sessions turned the spotlight on AI, marketing, and storytelling, while the Global Active Network connected media pros from every corner of the map. Race directors swapped tales from the trenches in Lessons from the Field, and another standout session explored how brands can engage midlife women in sport – a demographic still waiting to be taken seriously by much of the industry.

When they weren’t talking shop, attendees were running scavenger hunts across Amsterdam, breathing, stretching, and plunging – proving that at this event, sitting still simply wasn’t an option.

“Two Days of Collaboration and Fun”

Shirry Liram, Event Director of IRX, summed it up best: “I’m thrilled with the success of this event and would like to thank all involved, the speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and press; plus the retailers, industry professionals, athletes and influencers who attended the Expo from all over the world.

It is especially rewarding to see the culmination of hard work deliver two days of invaluable conversations, connections, collaborations and fun! The immediate feedback from all attendees has been excellent.”

The Long Game: Building the Future Together

The story doesn’t end here. Raccoon Media Group, the organisers behind the International Running Expo, have already formed a major partnership with Messe München, the powerhouse that runs ISPO, the world’s largest sports trade show. Together, they’ve launched a €3 million investment programme designed to reinvent how the global sports industry connects and collaborates.

The goal? To strengthen both ISPO and the International Running Expo, creating twin hubs of innovation that keep the industry fit for the future.

The next chapter is already pencilled in: both shows return to RAI Amsterdam on 4–5 November 2026. Expect more people, more ideas, and even more energy.

Because if this first edition proved anything, it’s that the International Running Expo isn’t just another event on the calendar – it’s where the future of running gets its start line.