Like other organizers of outdoors events, Will Rodgers and his team at Running Lane didn’t know what to expect last year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

A year later in hindsight, the restrictions and measures weren’t as severe here as in other states. Limited outdoors activities were allowed to take place, with guidelines and changes.

But while running can be done individually, and sometimes in groups, Rodgers didn’t see a gigantic leap in interest, either, until later in the year. Running Lane puts on road and trail running events, and offers individual and group coaching.

“It was somewhat of a mixed bag,” he said. “In June, July and August, our event participation was down slightly. Once we got through September and into the fall, things began to pick up.

“Coaching-wise, we were down about 25 percent compared to the same time the previous year. This was challenging, as many folks who normally would use us to train for a big marathon kept having their races cancelled. I feel like this led to a lack of motivation for some and they ultimately needed to take a break from formal coaching.”

Events, large and small, were canceled throughout the country. They have begun to return, with limited attendance and myriad changes.

Running Lane’s summer four-event trail series is held at Monte Sano State Park. It puts on other events at locations such as Joe Wheeler State Park, Cathedral Caverns State Park and the John Hunt running facility in Huntsville.

Rodgers’ crew repeatedly stressed to participants to follow the CDC and state guidelines in order to have events, as well as changing some things including social distancing for check-in on race day, staggered wave starting times and more.

“We offered (neck gaiters) to all participants to use for PPE,” Rodgers said. “The start and finish were very different from past years in that we had waves of small groups of people using chip start timing so people could start the race when they felt comfortable.

“Lastly, we didn’t have as many options at aid stations to reduce high contact points. For example, we did individual water bottles versus communal coolers. We also had to cut out our post-race award ceremony and party to avoid large gatherings. All in all, I do feel that people were very thankful to have the opportunity to get back out there and race.”

Outdoor Activities

While some businesses were closed, others found ways to stay open or were deemed essential and exempted from closing.

Shooting ranges such as Bullet & Barrel and the new Hobbs Island Shooting Ranges saw increases. Archery ranges and shops did, as well.

Bicycle stores throughout the country reported surges in requests for maintenance and sales of new or used bikes, and exercise equipment such as kettlebells, weightlifting bars and other items shot up in price or were sold out online or in stores.

For the first time in 17 years, Suzanne and Dink Taylor closed their Fleet Feet store in Jones Valley. Like many small business owners, whether independent or franchisees, turning off the lights was crushing.

Some were able to return. Others weren’t.

“When we first got news last year about the pandemic that was the first thing I mentioned to our suppliers and buyers, the potential for supply chain issues. But I didn’t forecast that the world was going to fall apart and we would have to close our business,” Suzanne Taylor said. “The day we shut down, I sat back in here and told Dink that we’d have to close the store. I was crying, and one of our guys came in to give me a hug but we couldn’t even hug. That was a really hard day for us, to close the store, and we did it before the governor announced anything. We just made the decision that it wasn’t safe to open the store. It was very hard.

“The hardest part was going to have to furlough people. We furloughed our own son. The next day there was a Zoom call with all Fleet Feet owners and we didn’t know what we were going to do. The day after that, we had our manager meeting (on a call) to make a plan, and everyone pitched in 500 percent. We’re indebted to our managers … they could’ve said they didn’t want any part of it but they did a phenomenal job. You just have to adjust.”

Greg Lein, a native of Huntsville and director of the Alabama State Parks system, said attendance was up about 1.2 million above average in 2020. The parks system is self-supporting and did not close. But Lein said managers and staff did a great job “of adjusting and finding ways to make things work.”

“We saw business increases pretty much across the board, but they were nuanced,” Lein said. “We’re a complex business entity so it wasn’t uniform. Camping and day-use were through the roof, and I mean dramatic increases at some parks, more than others. On the lodge side, with public health rules and such, conference business just went in the tank. Joe Wheeler and Lake Guntersville lodges’ business was terrible, which impacts food-and-beverage business.”

Lodges, he said, began offering carry-out food and beverage for park visitors but not seated dining. Cathedral Caverns State Park cut tour group sizes by 50 percent, “and we did mock tours to make sure we could socially distance but still hear the guide.” Visits to parks near bigger cities, such as Monte Sano in Huntsville, Oak Mountain in Birmingham and Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, saw significant attendance increases.

“When you rely on self-generated revenue, no one’s going to come to your rescue,” Lein said. “I credit our managers and staff for working hard and finding ways to make it work.”

Trends and Figures

In Alabama, and other states, hunting and fishing license sales increased significantly. Chuck Sykes, director of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division in the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said hunting license sales increased by 8 percent and fishing license sales were up 15 percent.

Already this year, he said they are up 5.3 percent for hunting and 8.8 percent for fishing. With more time on their hands last year, hunters and anglers renewed their passions on the water and in the woods.

That’s not a surprise to Trent Marsh, marketing specialist with SpyPoint game cameras. The cellular or battery-operated units capture images of wildlife — and sometimes trespassers or poachers — and are sold throughout the U.S and internationally. They are sold locally in outdoors and sporting goods stores.

“I think as 2020 started to unfold, we were all concerned about what the year would mean from a customer and sales perspective,” Marsh said. “As it turned out, getting back into the outdoors was kind of the one thing that everyone was able to do. We certainly saw the uptick in customers, new customers and usage, and frankly, everyone I talk to in the industry saw the same thing. The hunting side grew no doubt, but the folks on the fishing side have seen nothing short of explosive growth. It’s been great to see.”

Some other notable trends and figures from 2020:

— An analysis of prospective buyers of RVs by LendingTree showed that in Alabama there was a 216 percent increase in interest of purchasing an RV, the 10^th largest in the country. Interest in RVs rose 162 percent nationwide last year, and in June 2020 there was a 303 percent year-over-year increase in the number of people completing query forms for RVs compared to 2019.

— Wearable devices, such as health and fitness tracking monitors like the Garmin Instinct or Fitbit, surged despite issues with supply. Shipments hit 153.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 27.2 percent from the previous year, according to the International Data Corporation. Garmin recently launched a new wearable, the Enduro, and other companies are ramping up production.

— The Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Outdoor Industry Association, released its Outdoor Participation Report topline findings in February. It showed gains of 28 percent (7.9 million additional participants) in camping, hiking (8.1 million more) and freshwater fishing (3.4 million more). The United States Tennis Association said participation increased by 22 percent, with 6.78 new participants.

— Shoe companies saw increases. Hoka One One, a popular brand for road and trail runners, saw its third quarter net sales increase 52.1 percent to $141.6 million. It made $93.1 million in Q3 the prior year.

— Home fitness equipment sales surged, despite issues with supply chain and production. Peloton Interactive, makers of the exercise bike with custom classes, saw revenue increase 128 percent in the second quarter ending Dec. 31, to $1.06 billion. The company’s Connected Fitness subscriptions grew to 1.67 million, a 134-percent increase from the previous year. In December 2020, Peloton Interactive announced its agreement to purchase Precor, one of the world’s largest commercial fitness equipment manufacturers.

What’s Coming in 2021?

In mid-March, the Taylors opened a Fleet Feet store in Madison on Hughes Road. April weather typically means blooming dogwoods, bass and bluegills biting in area lakes and turkey hunting season in full swing. The bird migration may be tailing off by mid- to late-April, but birdwatchers will be getting their fill of hummers, robins and others making nests to welcome their young.

There will be no shortage of bikers, hikers, campers, RVers and other outdoors enthusiasts ready to hit the roads, campgrounds, parks and lakes.

“I think there is a lot of pent-up demand for races with so many cancelled over the past year,” said Rodgers of Running Lane. “Some states had much stricter restrictions in place and the folks who felt comfortable participating in races from those states, traveled to Alabama and neighboring states to run. We heard nothing but praise from the out-of-town folks for giving them an opportunity to have some sense of normalcy.”

His team put on a trail-running event at Desoto State Park on March 13 that included 10K (6 miles), Half Marathon and 50K (31 miles) races. The field was capped at 300 and had runners from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. During an event at Cathedral Caverns last November, runners from at least six states including Kentucky participated. He’s seeing that trend continue.

“Participation numbers are increasing through the early part of 2021 and I’m optimistic that as the treatments and vaccine roll out, we will start to see more and more races return,” he said. “Coaching interest have also picked up in the past month and I believe that trend will continue as we head toward summer.”