Running Insight 2.3.2020 by Running Insight

THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR RUNNING SPECIALTY RETAILERS / RUNNINGINSIGHT.COM

VAPOR TRAIL A new wave of high-tech running shoes – with Nike’s Vaporfly Next% out front – could change running forever.

The Aardvark is still running after 35 years. Page 8 on-running.com

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FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Dawn of a New Age In the Running Game?

Technical advances in shoe design – led by Nike’s Vaporfly Next% – threaten to upend the run business as competitors line up with their own high-tech, high-performance offerings. / By Brian Metzler

RUNNING INSIGHT ® is a registered trademark of Diversified Communications. © 2020 all rights reserved. Running Insight is published twice each month, is edited for owners and top executives at running specialty stores and available only via email.The opinions by authors and contributors to Running Insight are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. Articles appearing in Running Insight may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher. Divesified Communications, 121 Free St, Portland, ME 04101; (207) 842-5500.

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energy as their feet roll through the gait cycle from heel-strike to toe-off. Lab results at the University of Colorado and Grand Valley State University have proven that the shoes result in a four-to-five percent reduction in a runner’s metabolic cost, but a detailed study of race results published in the New York Times has suggested the benefit could be as much as seven percent. The Dominant Vaporfly The dominance of the Vaporfly models in recent years that athletes have been wearing them is undeniable. Eliud Kipchoge set the current men’s marathon world record of 2:01:37 wearing a pair of the bright red Vaporfly 4% model in Berlin in 2018, while Brigid Kosgei famously wore a pair of hot pink Next% shoes last October in Chicago when she shattered Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old women’s world record with a still-unfathomable 2:14:04. In all, Vaporfly-shod runners claimed 31 of the 36 podium positions in the six world marathon majors in 2019. Among recreational runners, about 41 percent of marathons under three hours in the second half of 2019 were run in Nike Vaporfly models, according to the New York Times. The Hoka Carbon X debuted last May with American Jim Walmsley setting a world best for 50

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Cover Photo: Brad Kaminski / Velo Press

new wave of running shoes is X and New Balance’s Fuel Cell 5280 were rolling ashore in February and next to join the fray last yearr and now the it could change running forever. trend has spanned the entire industry, with Say whatever you want about Brooks (Hyperion Elite), ASICS (MetaRacer), the innovative running shoes with curved, New Balance (Fuel Racer EC), Saucony rigid plates embedded in thickly cushioned (Endorphin Pro) and Adidas (yet-unnamed midsoles, but they’re here to stay. They’ve prototype) are all expected to officially unveil been called unfairly advantageous, outratheir next-generation long-distance racing geously expensive and even unethical. But flats by the end of the month, either at retail the bottom line? They definitely help runners or on their sponsored athletes. race faster. A lot faster. And as winter wanes and spring nears, Although they might be controversial at those will become some of the hottest shoes the elite level, they’re changing the game for at running specialty stores and online shops. committed recreational runners interested The combination of the soft, resilient foam in chasing new marathon and half marathon and the carbon-fiber plate allows runners PRs. Need proof? The sub-elite starting corto be much more efficient and utilize less rals of the recent California Eliud Kipchoge and the banned Vaporfly 4%. Photo courtesy of Nike. International Marathon, Houston Marathon and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix have been a blur of runners shod in bright red, pink and green Nike Vaporfly shoes and social media feeds all over the world show runners celebrating new PRs. What started with Nike’s revolutionary Vaporfly 4% model in 2017 has spawned a new paradigm in shoe design. Nike’s Zoom X Vaporfly Next% and Hoka’s Carbon

Dawn of a New Age? (continued) miles of 4:50:08. And then, of course, there was Kipchoge’s 1:59:40 marathon effort last October at the INEOS 159 Challenge, the unofficial but eye-opening mark set while wearing a pair of the yetto-be-released pink-and-white Nike Alphafly shoes. Add to that Desi Linden’s 2018 Boston Marathon victory in a prototype of the Brooks Hyperion Elite, a new marathon PR for Sara Hall (2:22:16) last fall wearing ASICS MetaRacer prototypes and Rhonex Kipruto’s recent 10K world record on the roads wearing a pair of Adidas prototypes. A lso, c on sid e r t hat 14 American men ran faster than 1:02 at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon on Jan. 19 — and all were wearing a shoe with carbon-fiber plates.

What all the excitement is about: The Nike Zoom X Vaporfly Next%; the Brooks Hyperion Elite; Saucony Endoprhin Pro and New Balance Fuel Cell 5280.

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New Understanding of Design It’s clear that shoe companies, with Nike leading the way, have developed a new way to design running shoes. So far, the high price ($200-$250) and the lack of long-term durability (some of the shoes are rated at 50 miles) don’t seem to be dissuading consumers. Not all retailers have put the Nike shoes on their shoe walls – and it seems as if many will be experimenting with one or two of the new models – but those that have seem to be doing quite well. “The technology definitely works,” says Greg Weich, shoe buyer and retail floor manager at In Motion Running in Boulder, CO. “Running in the Next% is an entirely different sensation and seems to help runners run more efficiently over the duration of a race and that ultimately is the key to running faster. And ultimately that’s what all runners

The World Rules On Vaporfly

On January 31, World Athletics – the governing body of competitive running — declared the new shoe designs legal for competition, ending weeks of speculation that they might be banned sometime soon. The organization declared an indefinite moratorium on any shoe (whether with or without spikes) with foam thicker than 40mm, more than one rigid embedded plate or blade (of any material) that runs either the full length or part of the length of the shoe. Multiple plates and overlapping plates are not allowed. That more or less eliminated the Nike Alphafly shoe from becoming legal for competition, though Nike still might roll it out to the masses. Furthermore, track and cross-country spikes, secondary plates or other mechanisms are not permitted, but only for the purpose of attaching the spikes to the sole, and the sole must be no thicker than 30mm. Also, WA said a competition referee will have the power to request that an athlete immediately provide their shoes for inspection at the conclusion of a race if the referee has a reasonable suspicion that the shoes worn by an athlete do not comply with the rules. n

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Dawn of a New Age? (continued) “What’s next, finding ways to incorporate wheels into shoes so that you slightly roll forward with each footstrike?” TYLER MCCANDLESS, U.S. MARATHONER

want, no matter what your PR is.” But it’s important to note that these shoes aren’t creating additional energy, only capturing the downward force and turning as much of it as possible into forward momentum. “I think we’re definitely in a new understanding of shoe design,” says Carson Caprara, senior director, global footwear product management for Brooks. “But we don’t want to be in a place where we’re creating a shoe

that produces energy in an artificial way. This is all about making a runner as efficient as possible using the energy they’re putting into the shoe.” What’s Next for Retail? With the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on the horizon at the end of February in Atlanta, the chatter around this new paradigm should become white hot. And maybe pretty nasty, too. The Nike shoes have been both overwhelmingly successful, but extremely polarizing as well. But the new declaration from World Athletics doesn’t necessarily resolve the fervor surrounding these modern shoes. Will the Nike shoes still be superior? What if the ASICS or Saucony shoe comes out clearly better? It doesn’t make

the playing field any more equal. It only confuses it more. Those who have run in Nike models – either because they’re pro runners sponsored by the Swoosh or because they forked over $250 to buy their own shoes – have been stoked to run faster than ever before. Meanwhile, many of those who have not have worn Nikes – either because they’re sponsored by other brands or they’re recreational runners who can’t justify the price tag – have been lamenting about the shoes giving other runners an unfair advantage. “ T he sho es a re stor i ng mechanical energy at one point (landing) of the footstrike and giving it mechanical back at another point (toe-off),” says Tyler McCandless, an elite U.S.

marathoner sponsored by Altra who owns a 2:12:28 PR and a Ph.D. in meteorology to his credit. “ Tra nsfer r i ng me cha n ical energy via a curved plate is unfairly advantageous,” he adds. “That’s the simple transfer of mechanical energy that’s unfairly assisting runners. That’s not ethical innovation. What’s next, finding ways to incorporate wheels into shoes so that you slightly roll forward with each footstrike? That would still not return more than 99.9 percent energy, but would move energy from one state (static mechanical energy) to another (dynamic, rolling a wheel).” All that means is that runners still have to train and race as fast as possible, no matter what shoes are tied to their feet. n

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This Aardvark Isn’t Slowing Aardvark Sports Shop passes 35-year mark and marches into a new decade. / By Daniel P. Smith

ounded in 1741, the city of Bethlehem, PA, exists in two eras. While embracing the fast-paced nature of contemporary times as host to Lehigh University and Moravian College, technology parks and artful postindustrial redevelopment, the 75,000-resident city earnestly clings to its historic past, evident in mounted police, an assortment of celebrated 18th and 19th century artifacts and 200-year-old churches. Bethlehem provides a kaleidoscopic glimpse into where America has been and where it’s going. Aardvark Sports Shop, Bethlehem’s hometown running store since 1984, isn’t so different, albeit in terms of the run specialty channel. The store’s current owner, second-generation running retailer Bruce Haines, guides the well-settled store with the sport-loving spirit of his father, the now 81-year-old Richard “Dick” Haines, in tow and an eye on run specialty’s ambitious march into the future. Like the historic clock atop its Main Street building, one of the oldest working clocks in the U.S., Aardvark continues ticking. The independent running shop has evolved mightily since its 1984 founding – three different owners, five different locations and current products that bear little resemblance to their early predecessors – yet retained its unapologetic loyalty to Bethlehem’s local running scene. “We have a good thing going,” Haines says, “and I’d like it to stay that way.” Ready, Set, Aardvark Chuck Kovacs opened Aardvark Sports in 1984, taking over a tiny spot on downtown Bethlehem’s Guetter Street. A former retail employee and avid runner, Kovacs hungered to be his own boss and took the entrepreneurial leap despite hefty risks, including a young family to support. “I put together the prospectus and got the money,” says Kovacs, who drew his 8

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Aardvark Sports Shop certainly reflects the diverse history of the city of Bethlehem, PA.

inspiration from a running store in nearby Allentown, PA. Kovacs selected the name Aardvark for a reason inconceivable by today’s standards: he wanted to sit at the front of the phonebook. “An aardvark was a quick, land-running animal that started with the letter A,” Kovacs explains. With the running boom little over a decade old, Kovacs called Aardvark’s early years “tough.” He struggled to secure inventory, turning to brands such as Etonic and Avia after the likes of Adidas, Nike and New Balance shunned his overtures, while he countered a lack of in-store traffic by launching a mail-order business. “Still, I always felt it would get better. I could always see the potential,” says Kovacs, who would run eight miles from his home to the store each morning before retracing those same steps after the store’s 8:00 p.m. close. In 1986, Kovacs doubled down on the entrepreneurial life when he purchased a tiny local watering hole called Ripper’s Pub. For the next two years, Kovacs ran

both places, though he soon found himself drowning in ambition. That’s when Dick Haines appeared. An accomplished runner who once scored a top 10 finish at the Boston Marathon (ninth in 1962), Haines had tired of his administrative job at Lafayette College and approached Kovacs about a partnership or sale. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but I was burning the candle at both ends. Dick gave a nice offer and we made the deal,” recalls Kovacs, who still owns Ripper’s. Bruce Haines says his father adopted a pragmatic view about his new venture, calling running “the only other thing” he knew anything about. Under New Ownership Dick Haines walked into Aardvark Sports as its new owner in January, 1988 and his enthusiasm for and knowledge of the sport proved immediately beneficial — as did the cachet of being a top 10 Boston Marathon finisher. Haines worked with new customers, secured new products and leveraged the

Aardvark Sports Shop (continued) Lehigh Valley’s strong running culture, one nourished by the corporate presence of Rodale, the publisher of magazine titles such as Runner’s World and Men’s Health, to stabilize Aardvark. He also moved the business from its obscure Guetter Street location into a more prominent spot on Bethlehem’s Main Street. “My dad loved the running store, especially once he started turning a profit after some touchand-go early years,” Haines says. Like his father before him, Haines, too, would tire of a career in college administration. In 1995, he joined his father at Aardvark, scoring an hourly rate of $7.50 as a rookie employee. “By this time, my dad was in his late 50s and thinking of his exit strategy, so the timing was just right,” Haines says.

An aardvark is a quick, land-running animal whose name starts with “A.” No further explanation needed on the unique name.

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Not Screwing Up The son started on the floor, learning product and helping customers before gradually taking on additional back-office roles, including overseeing the installation of a computerized point-of-sale (POS) system. In January 1998, Haines the son purchased the business from Haines the father and, though the business did move into a renovated downtown space the following March, Bruce Haines resisted any wholesale changes. He focused on understanding his role as owner, including managing staff and planning a business. “Other than the move, I tried not to make too many changes,” Haines says. “I just kept going and tried not to screw it up.” That march continued for the next seven years until a more confident Haines, eager to grow the business, decided to open a second Aardvark outlet © 2020 Diversified Communications

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Aardvark Sports Shop (continued)

Dick Haines (first photo, left) purchased Aardvark Sports in 1988. Today, his son, Bruce Haines (right), operates the run specialty store in Bethlehem, PA.

in 2005. He grabbed a spot in Stroudsburg, PA, about 35 miles north of Bethlehem, and set up shop. By 2011, however, Haines realized he wasn’t a multi-store operator. Managing staffing and inventory levels proved stressful and Haines confesses he didn’t spend enough time recognizing – or championing – the importance of store culture. “The stresses of having a second store were not worth the benefits to me,” he says. Haines sold the Stroudsburg unit to manager Trish D’Imperio, who later rebranded the store as Ready Set Run and continues operating it today. Building a Sustainable Aardvark Back to overseeing a single door, Haines centered his full attention on the Bethlehem operation. He moved the store into its current 3,000-square foot storefront on Bethlehem’s 12

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Main Street and dedicated himself to building the Aardvark Sports brand. He began selling branded merchandise and introduced the Team Vark training group. Powered by Wednesday night group runs and Saturday sMILEs, a weekend morning run, Team Vark has morphed into an enthusiastic collection of store ambassadors that support each other and promote the Aardvark Sports name. “Team Vark has grown well beyond our expectations,” Haines says. Though Aardvark had undeniable momentum, Haines couldn’t shake feelings that his business was missing opportunities, especially amid the run specialty surge of the early 2010s. He worried about the sustainability of his single-store operation, especially as shiny new running retailers entered the fold and multi-store operations became more commonplace.

“Were we doing everything possible to compete?” he says. In 2015, Haines began working with Karnan Associates, the Parker Karnan-led consultancy that specializes in run, cycling and outdoor retail. With the help of Karnan’s team, Haines improved Aardvark’s back-office structure and inventory management, positioning the store for heightened profitability. Haines later joined Future Track, Karnan’s collective of about a half-dozen run specialty store owners, where he relished the opportunity to bounce ideas of fellow running retailers, discover resources and learn about industry successes. “This gave us a much bigger worldview than we ever could’ve had by staying in Bethlehem,” Haines says of the Future Track group. T h i s h a s a l l p r o p el le d Aardvark to where it is today – a dynamic operation with 20

staff members who partake in Varksgiving, the staff’s annual Thanksgiving celebration, and a staff book club that rotates houses discussing titles such as The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, Uneducated and Christmas Miscellany. Meanwhile, Aardvark’s four core values – fun, knowledge, caring and service – shine in the small things like tying every customer’s shoes to lively store events like poker runs and a pumpkin relay race in the fall. “We try to have customers perceive us as the fun place to be,” Haines says. Buoyed by a strong store culture and in a healthy financial position, Haines believes Aardvark Sports is well positioned for the years ahead, maybe even another 35 years. “We’re in a positive industry with people and customers who are great to deal with,” he says. “What more could we want?” n © 2020 Diversified Communications

Under Armour Welcomes the Machina Under Armour HOVR Machina offers speed, comfort and real-time Form Coaching.

ith the goal of solving the problem of choosing between a high-cushion running shoe for longer distance races or a lightweight racing shoe for faster running, Under Armour has unveiled its UA HOVR Machina, which mixes the speed of a racing shoe with the comfort of a long-distance trainer. Combine that with UA’s recently introduced real-time Form Coaching and runners can be equipped with state-of-theart running technology. What gives the UA HOVR Machina its fast-feeling speed is its propulsion plate, designed to keep the pace quick no matter what distance. The two-pronged carbonfilled Pebax spring plate helps runners get up on their toes to keep their turnover quick and their transition snappy. And with cushioning known to improve running energy, a factor that can make a 14

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difference of several minutes when it comes to marathon racing, the UA HOVR Machina features a new uncaged UA HOVR midsole — all the benefits of soft HOVR cushioning, without any extra weight. UA developed a precise geometry that doesn’t require as much cage surrounding the UA HOVR midsole. T he cage suppor ts UA HOVR underneath the midsole, while the sides are now uncaged, saving weight while still providing responsive cushion. With the same durability and fit as the UA HOVR I n f i n ite a nd about 20 percent more UA HOVR cushioning, the UA HOVR Machina provides more energy return. “With the UA HOVR Machina, we’ve found the ideal balance of cushion and energy return in a lightweight package – delivering snappy speed and a smooth ride – to make a shoe for runners who want to break through their goals in 2020,” explains Under Armour group GM of run, train and outdoor Topher Gaylord. All of the footwear in Under Armour’s 2020 run suite, including the UA HOVR Machina, come digitally connected, allowing runners not only to track and analyze their runs, but also to gain insight into their running form. The UA HOVR Machina launches globally on February 7 on UA.com, at Under Armour Brand Houses, UA Shop App, and specialty retailers. Among its other product DNA:

• Neutral: For runners who need a balance of flexibility and cushioning. • UA HOVR technology provides zero gravity feel to maintain energy return that helps eliminate impact. • Compression Mesh Energy Web contains and molds UA HOVR foam to give back the energy put into it. • Engineered mesh upper is lightweight and breathable and the Sprint spike-inspired carbon-filled Pebax speed plate provides increased return and more powerful push-offs. • Weight (Men’s size 9) 10 ounces; (Women’s size 7) 8.5 ounces. Up Next: UA Form Coaching This month Under Armour is taking connected running to the next level with the introduction of real-time Form Coaching. This personalized feature helps runners ensure that their form doesn’t break down in the middle of a run by providing real-time, personalized guidance, helping them better manage their risk of injury and improve their performance. Runners can also measure their foot strike angle and ground contact time, offered in a post-run analysis, to give them deeper insights into their form, especially useful on longer runs where the form may tend to break down due to fatigue. All of these features are available with a seamless connection to MapMyRun. “With UA connected footwear and real-time Form Coaching, you’re essentially getting a personalized coach who gives instantaneous feedback to help you reach your goals,” says Ben McAllister, senior director, MapMyRun & Connected Footwear. “We’ve tested this feature with runners at all levels of the sport and now also offer additional post-run data, such as foot strike angle and ground contact time, to give runners more insight than ever before.” n

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running shorts Wings for Life World Run Returns

IN ADDITION TO HOSTING THE SUPER Bowl yesterday, Hard Rock Stadium will also serve as a host site for the Wings for Life World Run.

The Wings for Life World Run will celebrate its seventh year in Florida on May 3 and, while the cause and many of the faces will remain the same, the worldwide race will now be held at the new location in Miami Gardens after six years in Sunrise, FL. According to the race’s organizers, moving the race to Hard Rock Stadium provides a new route for return runners and will give much easier access to participants from the Miami area. Since the Wings for Life World Run has no set distance, this allows participants of all skill levels to take part, support the cause and run a personal race unique to their ability — whether that’s a 5K or an ultramarathon. The race is unlike traditional runs because it has no finish line. The Wings for Life World Run finish line is mobile — and begins behind the participants. The iconic Catcher Car starts its engine 30 minutes after the global run begins, chasing down the runners one by one until the very last remains. Whether participants are looking to spend a fun day with friends or aiming to achieve high performance, the thrill of trying to stay ahead of the Catcher Car often motivates

them to achieve more than they imagined. Last year, more than $4 million was raised for spinal cord injury research and organizers will look to top that number in 2020. Every year, entry fees are applied to cutting edge research with the goal of finding a cure for spinal cord injury. This research has reallife impact, as evidenced by Switzerland’s David Mzee, who was able to take his first steps after being paralyzed for years thanks in part to a clinical trial funded by Wings for Life. David walked 390 meters at the 2019 Wings for Life World Run. While thousands are expected at Hard Rock Stadium, more than 120,000 participants will take part in races all over the globe. The Wings for Life World Run will be live streamed worldwide so that people can follow the dozen official race locations and see who will be the last man and woman to be caught by the Catcher Car. This year the Wings for Life World Run will be sponsored globally by sportswear experience brand 4F and locally by returning media partner NBC 6 South Florida. For more information: www.wingsforlife.com

HydraPak To Support Cupless Racing At Big Sur Marathon In April HydraPak has been named the official reusable hydration partner of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF), an organization with over a decade of uninterrupted designation as a zero-waste event. HydraPak will bring its reusable hydration product line and sustainability mission to participants and visitors of the 35th Annual Big Sur International Marathon in April. Craf ted in Nor thern California, HydraPak designs and produces flexible performance hydration systems aimed at reducing single-use waste. BSMF prioritizes the development of ecologically

and environmentally sustainable practices and the ma r atho n’s partnership with HydraPak is the first step in the o r g a n i z a t i o n’s quest to eliminate all single-use cups on course at BSMF events. Participants in the 2020 Big Sur Marathon and related race weekend events will be invited to opt-in to a cupless experience during their race.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation and HydraPak are aiming for a 33 percent opt-in rate for participants across all race weekend events, eliminating tens of thousands of single-use cups on course. The first 4000 participants to take the cupless pledge will receive a complimentary Big Sur Marathon branded SpeedCup, courtesy of HydraPak. It is hoped these participants will use this cup during their race and after crossing the finish line in the recovery zone and finish village. With 11 aid stations on course, each marathon participant who takes the cupless pledge will potentially reduce their individual disposable footprint by 22-33 cups.

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running shorts The Great Shoe Debate Set for This Month in Canada THE GREAT SHOE DEBATE, PART OF the successful and always intriguing LadySport Lecture Series at the University of British Columbia, is set for Wednesday, February 12. The debate will feature four world-class researchers who are responsible for some of the most current research on running, shoes and running injuries/biomechanics. They will come together under one roof to debate the tough questions of the day surrounding running shoes. Hosted by Phil Moore of FitFirst Footwear and LadySport, and moderated by FitFirst Footwear and LadySport co-owner Evan Moore, the esteemed researchers on the panel include Dr. Michael Ryan C. Ped (C), Phd; Dr. J. F. Esculier PT. Phd, Sport

Physiotherapy Certificate; Dr. Chris Napier PT, PhD, Sport Physiotherapist; Dr. Chris Maclean Phd.; and Shalaya Kipp Msc., PhD Student (Kinesiology and Excercise Science). The event will kick off with remarks by Dr. Jack Taunton, one of the world’s most accomplished sports medicine physicians. Dr. Taunton has published numerous running injury studies, was chief medical officer for the 2010 Olympic Games and is the co-founder of the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre. After this introduction the panel members will go through a brief summary of their research before they begin the debate. Each researcher will pose a statement regarding

running shoes for the panel to debate. There will also be a chance for audience members to answer and to get involved. After the debate, the moderator will pose questions from the audience. Each will be given five minutes. There is no cost for this lecture but attendees are encouraged to donate to the one of two causes: BC Sports Medicine Research Foundation, which was created to promote research and increase knowledge in the field of sport and exercise medicine; or the UBC School Of Kinesiology, which will apply donations to scholarships that help remove financial barriers for talented students. For more information and to register (250 person limit): www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-greatrunning-shoe-debate-tickets-89647950433

Superfeet Secures New Balance License Superfeet has entered into a licensing agreement with New Balance that expands the Superfeet insole product line to include New Balance insoles in North America and parts of Asia. The new line of New Balance insoles, built on the signature foundation of Superfeet shape, features three distinct purposebuilt collections — Casual, Running and Sport. In addition to delivering a new line of off-the-shelf products curated to meet the needs of the New Balance consumer, New Balance will offer its shoppers custom created insoles. C o m b i n i n g F i t s t a t i o n by H P + Volumental, 3D scanning and gait analysis technology, New Balance custom insoles will feature 3D-printed-caps manufactured on HP Jet Fusion printers and assembled into finished insoles at the Flowbuilt Manufacturing facility in Washington. “We are honored to have been selected by New Balance as the company who will help build that legacy into the future,” says John Rauvola, CEO and

president of Superfeet. “The addition of New Balance insoles to the Superfeet portfolio provides us the opportunity to further our company mission of helping as many people as possible by providing Superfeet shape to even more customers.” “When selecting companies to represent the New Balance brand, we look to those who are as committed to serving athletes as we are,” adds New Balance VP–accessories and licensing Christine Madigan. “Superfeet’s deep knowledge of the run category and more than 40year track record in bringing innovative, high-quality products to market has earned trust from athletes of all abilities making them the perfect accessory for New Balance.” The Superfeet New Balance insoles are available now at New Balance stores, online and in select retailers.

as the Official Apparel and Footwear Provider for all of P3R’s races, including the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend of events, Fleet Feet Liberty Mile, EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler, GAP Relay presented by UPMC Health Plan, and the FlyBy 5K presented by CNX Resources. As part of the deal, P3R will offer participants at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon the opportunity to purchase Brooks co-branded gear, including a finisher jacket. Brooks will also create an official Pittsburghthemed running shoe that celebrates the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon with its black and gold colors. The Pittsburgh-edition of the Brooks Launch 7 is scheduled to release in Spring 2020. “Brooks is an iconic brand in the running community, which makes this partnership really special to us,” says Troy Schooley, P3R CEO. “Both P3R and Brooks are focused on creating an unforgettable experience for our runners, so we love teaming up and achieving this together.”

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P3R Extends Partnership With Brooks Brooks Running has entered into another three-year partnership with P3R, which operates a number of races in the Pittsburgh area. Brooks will continue

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