3X WAYS BRANDS ARE SHOWING UP TO PLAY ON RACE DAY

The category codes of the fitness world have long been set in stone: grit, grind, sweat, performance. It’s a place built on intensity, that can feel intimidating to enter for many. But the mood is shifting. A new wave of brands are breaking the mould - swapping pressure for play and making the category feel more approachable than ever. 

Traditionally, brands show up to athletic race days with ad campaigns heroing the more intense side of competing – chasing personal bests and channelling superhuman strength. But we’re seeing a cultural shift: brands are being bold and bringing fun to a space that’s inherently serious. 

The sporting calendar offers brands a chance to show up in real life, meet their community, and have some fun while doing so. While on social feeds, these events dominate, with the eyes of the world on them. 

With race season fully underway, here are three ways brands are making an impact trackside. 

BREAKING CATEGORY RULES

On race day, where crowds dominate and brands get lost in a sea of similarities, those that show up in unexpected ways always win. Cutting through the noise and making a loud statement, consumers are drawn to brands that borrow visual cues from other categories - a play often employed by leading pop culture brands. 

Puresport tapped into this tactic perfectly when they turned up to the London Marathon with petrol pump-style electrolyte stations. They took functional rehydration and turned it into an Instagrammable spectacle. By hijacking visual cues from the world of motoring and dropping them into a new context, Pure Sport created a moment that successfully got the internet talking. 

BEING PLAYFUL TO BE MEMORABLE

When brands don’t take themselves too seriously, people tend to take notice - especially in a category that often lacks humour. Amid the intensity of competition day, playful moments bring out a brand’s human side and offer a refreshing break from straight-up performance messaging. Activations that dial up humour and novelty become PR magnets and social media gold. 

Take Gymshark, who showed up at the London HYROX with The Londrette (a tongue-in-cheek take on the classic Laundrette). At the retro-themed pop-up, racers could flash their HYROX wristband, grab a free hoodie, and have their finisher patch stitched onto the sleeve. Doubling down on the fun, there was even electrolyte powder disguised as a washing detergent - and the internet’s favourite @GrimeGran was working behind the counter. Instead of showing up with an expected finish line stand, Gymshark’s Londrette was playful, photogenic, and hyper-relevant to the community-led HYROX crowd. 

MEETING PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE CROWDS

Race day is loud – with brands lining the track vying for attention, fighting to be seen, heard and posted. This year we’re seeing smart brands deviating from the crowds, finding cut through in the quieter moments pre and post-race. 

New Balance nailed this strategy with its London Townhouse pop-up - approaching race day with less hype, and more help. From medal engraving and recovery zones to cheer sign stations, New Balance offered marathon-goers a sanctuary from the chaos, solidifying themselves as a brand that cares. 

Ahead of the Marathon, Puresport took a similar approach with its runner’s kit room service, delivering ‘Marathon Supply Kits’ straight to participants’ hotel rooms, leaving other brands to battle it out with merch stands. Their pre-race pasta parties followed suit, ditching branding overload for a thoughtful, carb-heavy gesture. These moments add value instead of volume, fostering a supportive relationship between the brand and its community. 

Brands aren’t just keeping up with the fitness crowd - they’re connecting with them. Tuning into race day, being intuitive to their communities, and using it as a place to extend brand stories rather than just sell. It’s about showing up for a generation that sees fitness as identity. 

Words by Ella Palmer, Culture.

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