Bekah & Jeff take London with New Balance.
“London was a trip! Bekah and I spent an untold fortune on Lime bikes getting around attempting to take in every pop-up, shakeout, and marathon moment. A non-exhaustive list of the coolest things we saw: our friends Jonty & Molly own a shop called Runlimited in London and hosted a killer pop-up with Bandit & New Balance in Shoreditch, serious GOALS. We got a sneak peak at some upcoming New Balance shoes that we're amped about (big bet on those Y2K vibes). Finally the race itself was WILD with over 50,000 finishers (and 8 Race Team members) crossing the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace on a warm but beautiful London morning. 10/10 would do again.”
Chelsea’s head in the clouds with On in PDX.
“Though not my first time in the PNW, it certainly was the warmest. Record setting temps (and Portland sun?) were a welcome reprieve from our slow-to-start spring. This visit to the On HQ was particularly special as it was a chance to connect in-person with more than a dozen of our retail peers. I sat alongside some titans of the run industry as we learned about what On has in store for the next few seasons. Outside of the meeting rooms, we were treated to an amazing farm-to-table meal which felt extremely Portlandia and experienced a beautiful run in Forest Park.
The cherry on top? Spotting an MCR shirt on a random passerby on the streets of Portland. They were only a little bewildered when we stopped to ask for a photo.”
Small crimes with Dre in Boston.
“From the streets of Portsmouth, NH with Altra to a Race Team takeover in Boston I got my New England on in April. At Altra I sat in on their national sales meeting and was treated to an inside view of their company culture (which is stellar), snuck a peek behind the marketing curtain (it's gonna be dope), and got to test some new product (file under Foam Upgrades to Get Excited About). Also ran a submarine based relay. I have no follow up to that statement.
In Boston, I witnessed the hype on and off the course. Our 45 teammates celebrated with a Mill City shakeout on Sunday and I cheered my face off for them on Marathon Monday. To battle my FOMO, I ran the (very underground) Paul Revere Classic the night before the race. File my team under ‘Participation Award’. Real question: did I have enough fun to want to run Boston myself, or did I have enough fun that I'll never want to do anything other than speckle this magical weekend?”
All business with Luke at the Running Industry Summit in Atlanta.
“The Summit is all about industry connections: sharing wins, solving friction points, and moving the channel forward. If you work behind the scenes, the Summit is where you go to nerd out. Most exciting for me was getting a triple-secret sneak peek at a handful of conceptual/not-fully-baked products and having some influence on what comes out. Let’s just say ASICS has some stuff on the horizon that is going to have both shoe nerds and everyday runners excited.”
SuperPete sees NYC with Superfeet.
“Went to the Big Apple. Met Superfeet superfan Sanya Richards-Ross. Attended a media party where Superfeet unveiled their latest and greatest inserts. Imagine adding a carbon plate to your daily trainer for an extra pop when you need it. Tried it, loved it. Chatted biomechanics, inserts, and shoes with Superfeet developers. Hotel was mere strides from where Dylan stayed in Chelsea. Ran to Central Park with a bagel, took a bite.”
Michael lives out a sneakerhead dream at Nike.
“Located at 1 Bowerman Drive in Beaverton, OR is NIKE WHQ—emphasis on WORLD Headquarters. That place is expansive as all get out and packed with innovation and inspiration. I had to sign multiple NDAs prior to arrival on campus, so what I can tell you is this: ACG stands for All Conditions Gear, track spikes are about to get a bit of a glow-up, and the mind-body connection of the athlete* has never been this interwoven. We got to experience the latter first hand, because when Coach Bennett tells you at dinner you’re racing a mile at 6:15am the next morning on the Michael Johnson Track (in the woods), you have no choice but to lock in. Yes, there were heat sheets. No, I was not in the fast heat. Yes, I earned a shirt emblazoned with SUB 6 across the back, and that’s all you need to know.”
*if you have a body, you are an athlete