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The sport of running usually only comes into focus when the Olympic Games hit the TV screen. That’s understandable as it is the biggest athletic stage in the world, and the chance of claiming a gold medal in any of the running disciplines is the leading dream of all athletes.

But once the Olympics are over, it’s highly unlikely to find any mention of the sport across various sports betting South Africa platforms, despite the region producing some of the world’s best runners and considerable interest in the sport here.

But why? Why is the sport so engaging, so loved when the Olympic Games come along, but then seems to be immediately forgotten about. Unfortunately, this is just something about running that does not seem like it is going to get fixed.

You Can Get Running Betting Markets

The first reason why it’s not as easy to find betting on running outside of the Olympics is that it’s not a profitable area for bookmakers. This is a huge factor for operators, whose sole aim is to make money, to launch a lot of running markets. Instead, they will focus on bigger, more mainstream sports where they know they are going to receive market interest.

Bookmakers from different countries, including those in Africa, favour the most popular sports and the biggest tournaments, such as the EPL in football, NHL in hockey, NBA in basketball, and so on. Those are the major areas where bookmakers make money, because punters are so keen to make bets on the latest Manchester derby in the EPL or the Grand National. Running simply can’t compete.

Breaking Obscurity

While running enthusiasts naturally treasure the sport, running is niche and obscure to both bookmakers and the general public. Even if there was a big race coming up, it would be extremely difficult for punters to get into the heavy statistical analysis that comes with sports betting.

It’s fair to say that the stars of running are not anywhere near as well known as athletes like Premier League footballers. People generally wouldn’t know who they are betting on if a race market was available and bettors generally don’t like uncertainty.

They like to swim with the tide. Even when a top athlete lands a gold medal in the Olympic Marathon, then they will likely fall out of the public eye for four years until the next Games. So it is hard to keep up with current stars of athletics and those who could be making a breakthrough the next time a major televised event comes around.

Some of It’s There

The Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and to some extent the Diamond League can force bookmakers into action.  It’s only going to be those major-televised events that markets are going to become available for.

So there are betting markets for running out there. However, the problem lies in the fact that for a 100m sprint gold medal race, you are essentially going to be limited to the race winner and maybe top three finish options at most. Whereas for a football match, even in a less top league, a bookmaker would offer hundreds of markets.

The Nature of the Beast

The truth of the matter is that the running season is generally very limited compared to football, for example. That lack of regular action for running in comparison limits the interest in it.

Punters want the frequent betting action, and a high-turnover of fixtures to dig into the statistics and results week in and week out. Running just cannot provide that scheduling and bookmakers know it’s not sustainable.

It is a shame that running is not better covered than it is. It’s a double-edged sword. The sport doesn’t naturally lend itself to being a thrilling week-in, week-out rollercoaster of excitement that will put bums on seats and drive up the demand for more coverage.

Broadcasters are not going to give events valuable air time to grow the sport, because it’s not worth their while financially. So while there is a desire for fans of running to want to see more of the top action pop up at online bookmakers, it may not happen in the foreseeable future.