The new way performance brands build loyalty: host the race yourself

247 By Represent is hosting its first official running race next month — a 10K and 5K at Manchester’s Heaton Park with 1,000 runners registered. It’s the latest signal that performance brands are evolving from gear suppliers into cultural organizers of the running movement.

The shift is global

Across Europe and the US, brands are discovering that organizing races creates something product launches can’t: recurring community touchpoints that turn customers into crew members. 247’s race follows years of shakeout runs in London, Manchester, Berlin, New York, and Los Angeles — turning race weekends into brand moments. The brand has also dropped marathon collections for major races, sponsored athletes like British distance runner Alfie Manthorpe, and launched its first running shoe last year.

Stateside, Bare Performance Nutrition created the “Go One More” Ultra, a last-person-standing endurance format. In London, Tracksmith’s Trackhouse hosts multiple social runs per week, from weekend long runs to midweek speed sessions.

What started as pop-up activations around major marathons is now year-round programming. Brands are building running calendars that rival traditional race series, but with better merch, stronger social content, and direct feedback loops for product development.

Brand-led races reflect two realities: runners want cultural cachet alongside competition, and brands need owned experiences to build loyalty in an oversaturated market. The result is an expansion of opportunity — more races, more formats, more entry points into running culture.

As fitness continues its global growth, expect more brands to realize the starting line is just as good a real estate as the product page.