Changes to the 2026 edition of The Running Event won’t be as dramatic as last year, when it relocated to San Antonio. But with a new director at the helm, the annual trade show has made key improvements to the experience while preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Now leading the charge is event director Genae Salinas, who took over from Christina Henderson after her promotion to vice president of the Endurance Portfolio at Diversified USA, TRE’s parent company.
Salinas said most of the differences to the show, happening Dec. 1 to 3, will be logistical and behind the scenes. For instance, the exhibition hall in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center is expanding — in a space that’s already bigger than what TRE was working with in its previous home in Austin. Roughly 400 exhibiting brands have been confirmed for the 2026 event as of publishing, up from 360 last year, and registration has been tracking well for both retailers and media, according to event organizers.
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“Feedback was overwhelmingly positive on San Antonio,” Salinas said. “Exhibitors and attendees loved the city. They loved the convention center even more than we were expecting, so we’re really leaning into that.”
One major addition will come through a live podcasting space on the exhibition floor, satisfying a request that creators had made for years. In a sense, it replaces the TRE Live programming that had streamed through Flo Track and was hosted in partnership with PR Project.
Another issue that emerged from feedback was the difficulty of fitting everything into such a busy schedule, so Salinas and her team are making efforts to help attendees maximize their time. Little things are also being addressed such as certain room locations and the traffic flow, to make navigating the space as easy as possible.
Outside of the convention center, numerous brands host off-site parties, runs and showcases. TRE doesn’t get involved in these activities but does work with the brands from a promotional standpoint and intentionally leaves its schedule open on Wednesday evening to reduce the potential for conflicts.
“I would love to help plan these parties, but I don’t think we have the capacity for that,” Salinas said. “It’s what makes the whole week feel so special, and it helps support the city.”
Given the nature of the trade show, many attendees try to squeeze in a solo run when they can. But those who tried to include the River Walk in an evening trot last year were in for a rude awakening when they realized how little room there is to navigate. So TRE has now worked with San Antonio Road Runners to create a map offering several more viable routes.
Throughout the city and the event space, branding will highlight TRE’s 20th anniversary. The occasion will also be recognized in a museum activation on the exhibition floor that provides a look back on how the trade show has grown over the past two decades.
Courting the Non-Runner: FN’s TRE Panel
Growth in running revenue continues to be more pronounced for brands
than specialty retailers. But there is an opportunity to close the gap through more successful efforts to court the non-runner.
Within performance footwear, the running shoe is perhaps the most democratic option out there. Most
qualifying models aren’t just useful for their intended purpose, but also for walking or just having something comfortable and supportive for everyday wear.
Footwear News will host a panel with industry insiders in order to explore how specialty run stores can attract more non-running running shoe wearers.
Representing the brand side are Kevin Fitzpatrick, New Balance vice president of running and outdoor; and Stephen Scholten, Adidas vice president of product, running outdoor.
They’ll be joined by Philadelphia Runners owner Ross Martinson and Julie Valuskova, an independent design director with footwear experience at Aime Leon Dore, Yeezy, On and Cole Haan. Ian Servantes, senior writer for FN, will host the panel.
“Courting the Non-Runner” is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 in the Training Camp Theater.
