The Running Event Confirms About 400 Brands for San Antonio

By Priya Raman

About 400 exhibiting brands have confirmed participation in the Dec. 1-3, 2026 San Antonio edition of The Running Event, the annual trade show, up from 360 last year. The figure was current at publication. No final exhibitor total is disclosed. For footwear brands and specialty retailers, the larger field raises competition for buyer attention. Organizers provide no booth-sales conversion data.

What changes for brands and buyers in San Antonio?

Most 2026 changes are logistical and behind the scenes. Last year brought the relocation to San Antonio. Event director Genae Salinas now leads the show. She succeeded Christina Henderson after Henderson’s promotion. Henderson now serves as vice president of the Endurance Portfolio. Diversified USA is TRE’s parent company.

The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center exhibition hall will expand. It already exceeds the footprint TRE used in Austin. No square footage, booth allocation, rental cost or installation timeline appears in the announcement. Brands cannot yet compare the space economics against Austin.

Organizers say registration is tracking well for retailers and media. They publish no attendee total, channel mix or conversion data. Buyer interest therefore remains unquantified.

Salinas said: “Feedback was overwhelmingly positive on San Antonio. Exhibitors and attendees loved the city. They loved the convention center even more than we were expecting, so we’re really leaning into that.” The claim comes from the organizer. No survey sample or response count supports it.

What does the new programming and schedule change?

TRE will add a live podcasting space on the exhibition floor. Creators had requested the space for years. TRE frames it as a replacement for TRE Live. That program streamed through Flo Track. PR Project hosted that programming in partnership with TRE. The floor location could increase exposure for creators and exhibitors. Organizers disclose no recording schedule, audience capacity, sponsorship terms or expected visitor traffic.

Attendees reported difficulty fitting activities into a busy schedule. Organizers are adjusting room locations and traffic flow. They also want visitors to maximize their time. No revised floor plan, capacity limit or timetable measures that promise.

Numerous brands host off-site parties, runs and showcases. TRE does not get involved in these activities, but promotes them. It intentionally leaves its Wednesday-evening schedule open. That reduces potential conflicts with brand-hosted programming.

“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.”

The announcement gives no party count, funding structure or sponsorship terms. Attendee time still determines commercial returns for outside hosts. The open slot addresses one scheduling friction, not the wider calendar.

Many attendees try to squeeze in a solo run. Last year, some evening runners found little room to navigate around the River Walk. TRE worked with San Antonio Road Runners on a route map offering several more viable routes. The announcement gives no route distances, surfaces, lighting levels or safety guidance. The change may improve convenience, but its attendance impact remains untested.

Who addresses the non-runner sales gap?

Footwear News will examine a commercial channel gap. Running revenue growth is stronger for brands than specialty retailers. The panel asks how specialty run stores can attract non-runners to running shoes. No underlying revenue or margin figures accompany that premise.

Brand representatives are Kevin Fitzpatrick, New Balance vice president of running and outdoor, and Stephen Scholten, Adidas vice president of product, running outdoor.

Ross Martinson, owner of Philadelphia Runners, will join them. Julie Valuskova, an independent design director, also joins the panel. Her footwear experience includes Aime Leon Dore, Yeezy, On and Cole Haan. Ian Servantes, Footwear News senior writer, will host.

The session, titled “Courting the Non-Runner,” is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 in the Training Camp Theater. Within performance footwear, most qualifying running-shoe models also support walking and everyday wear. No panel findings exist before the discussion.

What marks the show’s 20th anniversary?

TRE will place anniversary branding throughout the city and event space. A museum activation on the exhibition floor will review two decades of growth. Organizers disclose no activation partners, production costs or attendance targets. No dedicated retail offer is announced.

For sourcing teams, the next test is measurable conversion. Will the larger hall and podcast space deliver buyer traffic? Will route maps improve attendance at off-site brand programming? Organizers have announced no benchmarks for those outcomes.

The roughly 400-brand count remains the firmest pre-event commercial signal. December 2026 attendance, exhibitor traffic and retailer feedback will show whether expansion improves access or merely adds capacity.