Where the Running Community and Industry Meets
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WWW.RUNNING-FORUM.COM WHERE THE RUNNING COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY MEETS SWITZER’S BOSTON TOP ULTRA- GOING ON AN BREAKTHROUGH P9 RUNNING TIPS P20 ADVENTURE P23 Zenith 2 provides long term cushioning as well as offering a high level rebound and enhanced shock absorption. www.gola.co.uk Sports Insight Advertisement September 2018.indd 1 14/09/2018 14:41 FootShaped, ZeroDrop & Fit4Her The three key ingredients to creating the Altra difference. To view the range or for stockist information visit www.altrafootwear.co.uk Editor: MARK HAYHURST Tel: 01206 508618 Email: [email protected] Advertising Manager: KEITH MARSHALL Tel: 01206 505947 Email: [email protected] Advertising Sales 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd, WELCOME Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY Group Advertising Manager: SAM REUBIN TO THE RUNNING FORUM Group Editor: FAE GILFILLAN Tel: 01206 508615 It’s the place where the industry and the running Publisher: MATTHEW TUDOR community meet Art Director: LEE WHITEFORD Advertisement Art Director: Featuring in-depth interviews with brands, athletes and influencers, as KEVIN DENNIS well as the latest news and views from the world of running. Reproduction: Find out what are going to be the hot new products, where the latest and ACE PRE-PRESS. Tel: 01206 797541 greatest race events are going to be and where your next run adventure Accounts: SUE CARR. can start. Tel: 01206 505903 Published by Maze Media (2000) Ltd. Have you ever just wanted to jack your job in and head off into the sunset? Well you can 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd, take inspiration from adventurer Jamie Ramsey and find out how he left his job in the city Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY and went on a quest to Run the Americas. And it didn’t stop there as his travels have taken All contents © Maze Media (2000) Limited. The views expressed in this him across the globe. magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is made to Have you ever done anything that has made an impact across the world? Well Kathrine ensure the veracity and integrity of the companies, persons, products and Switzer did back in 1967 – becoming for the first woman to officially run the Boston services mentioned in this publication and Marathon and getting attacked on the course for doing so. Find out how this event details given are believed to be accurate at the time of going to press. However, changed Kathrine’s life and the world of women’s sport. no responsibility or liability whatsoever can be accepted for any consequence Also we have some top tips on how to make you run uphill a lot faster and how best to or repercussion of responding to any information or advice given or inferred. cope with ultra running. Get involved and become a part of the running community. No part of this publication may be copied, broadcast, interpreted, or stored, in any I hope you enjoy this first edition of the Running Forum! form, for any purpose, without the written permission of the publisher. Mark Hayhurst, Editor 4 NEWS Runtastic, organize their own events (Run City Nights) and meet in their own local hubs, like Run Base in Berlin. Besides running, healthy nutrition, fitness, yoga and meditation are integrated in the Adidas program of those runners’ meet points. COMMUNITY TRAIL RUNNING Trail running is about experiencing nature and solitude – you might think. The well-known manufactures of trail running equipment, Salomon and Icebug disagree. As part of their marketing campaigns, they bring runners together to run in groups through forests, meadows, mountains and valleys. According to their Brand Manager Julia Schehl, Salomon continues the successful “How to Trail Run” workshops in 2018: “In 2017 we counted almost 3,000 participants, so we are expanding RUNNING GRoups the offer in 2018. With 22 hotspots 2.0 we’re represented throughout all of Germany.” COMMUNITIES ON THE RISE Icebug invests 2018 in their own women trail running community, called Forest Femmes. Mathias Adidas, Brooks, Saucony and Co. count on joined Basedow, Country Manager Icebug running activities in big cities, writes Ispo.com’s Germany / Austria points out that the main aim is to encourage Anna Angermeier women to do more outdoor sports. “The Forest Femmes have started didas Runners, La Sportiva, Ispo.com gives an industry news first hand. At the in Gothenburg and are now a Icebug Forest overview of the many different same time, it creates trust and weekly event in four Swedish cities. Femmes, Brooks running communities and solidarity with the brand among the The German version of the running A Run Happy, Salomon opportunities for retail shops. community of runners. meet-up has been held in Munich How To Trail Run, RunPack is a well-known since the beginning of 2018,” says Saucony Run Your World Tour RUNNING AS AN INDIVIDUAL SPORT BECOMES TEAM SPORT Berlin running community that Basedow. - running communities initiated cooperates with various running There are many reasons for by running brands are playing an brands, e.g. CEP, Saysky, Adidas working with local running groups. SPORTS RETAILERS START THEIR important role in urban running and Nike. In Hamburg, runners OWN EVENTS Jan Kratchovil, Head of Marketing scenes. However, how can self- can join the Tide Runners or Run What sports brands implement at Salming, sees cooperating organized or professionalized Fleet and in Cologne, the Cologne on an international or nationwide with running communities as an running groups be relevant for Running Crew sets the pace at local basis is adapted by stationary efficient approach to stay visible local sports retailers? Ispo.com has running tracks. sports retailers, directly and locally. as a brand, especially in big cities: spoken to brand representatives to The “Isar Run by Keller Sports” for “Within those running groups ADIDAS RUNNERS: provide an industry overview. example is held by the Munich shop an individual sport like running INTERNATIONAL, LOCAL, DIGITAL Running in groups is nothing AND INTEGRATED Keller Sports. They meet up with partly develops into a team sport. new. All along people have fixed One of the biggest running runners for training two times per Although the structures in such dates for joined endurance sports communities in 2018 are probably week at their store, close to the river communities are rather non- activities in order to motivate Adidas Runners. In the past two Isar in Munich. committal, the internal processes each other, achieve new goals years, the Boost running groups, Sport Scheck has been like the exchange of views, and have fun together. In times of that were already established in organizing running events in identification and sometimes digital networking, running apps urban areas have been evolved and German cities for many years. In even merchandising are similar and Facebook groups, this has multiplied on an international level. 2018 the corresponding nationwide to what we know from handball or naturally become easier. In recent Adidas spokesman, Oliver Brüggen: campaign is called Sport Scheck volleyball teams.” years hundreds of smaller and “Running communities give RUN. The events are hosted in 17 larger running communities have RUNNING COMMUNITIES IN BIG runners the opportunity to share cities and supported by apparel emerged. GERMAN CITIES their passion for sport with others brand Under Armour. To the advantage of running Salming works with various and rediscover their home town in On top, there are plenty of brands that support this trend by running groups in Berlin. Ideally a new way. The Adidas Runners possibilities for urban runners creating own activities. Still, also employees and cooperation are an international network of to do compensatory training, for to the advantage of local sports partners of the brand themselves enthusiastic athletes.” example the weekly workouts at retailers? Based on the feedback of are members of those groups. Today, the Adidas Runners are local The North Face (e.g. Never Adidas, Brooks Running, Saucony, According to Kratchovil, Salming represented in more than 50 cities Stop Munich) or Lululemon stores Salming, Salomon, Icebug and therefore receives plenty of worldwide. They cooperate with (e.g. Luluemon Munich). 5 KEEPING A STEP AHEAD OF AN EVER SHIFTING MARKET Jonathan Midwood, General Manager of Up & Running, looks at the changes and what has driven the running market over the years e have been doing what we do, that is sell running ‘kit’, for over W 25 years now and in that time the running industry from a product, brand and media perspective has changed beyond all recognition. Technology and the application of it for running purposes has moulded shoes, apparel and electronics to not only feed demand, but also create demand. From the early days of a Nike Swoosh being applied to a product and it becoming a ‘must have’ item, brands have tried to tap into the desire of runners and have aimed to sell them As a retailer, staffed and a product that will “make them perform better”. But this has been owned by runners, we find done to mixed success. Products nowadays are not always what a ourselves on a never-ending runner needs, ‘want’ yes, but ‘need’, that is debatable? cycle of invention and With the advancement of technology, some products have reinvention and we know we been created to supply a demand when there is no real need for it and have to keep our heads it has had the effect of separating the running collective into a diverse and often split set of communities. out of a burning flame. Some have shrinkage. However, as is often years ago, it was all about print Those that are loyal to, and the survived, others have crashed the case, there have been long and flat copy, there was no such ambassadors for, a specific product and burned leaving a nostalgic established and well-loved business things as Instagram, Facebook and or brand.