SportsShoes.com has recently established a significant global partnership with parkrun, a community event network. This collaboration positions SportsShoes.com as parkrun’s exclusive retail partner in the UK and extends support to the global parkrun community, particularly in the procurement and distribution of parkrun merchandise.
This partnership is a milestone for SportsShoes.com, representing its largest retail alliance to date. The collaboration involves supporting over nine million registered parkrunners worldwide, who are part of parkrun’s expansive community. Parkrun, known for its inclusive and social running events, operates free, weekly, timed 5k and 2k events in 23 countries, facilitated by local volunteers and catering to participants across all skill levels.
As part of the agreement, SportsShoes.com will manage the procurement and distribution of parkrun merchandise, including the Apricot collection and the milestone range. These items will be accessible to customers of SportsShoes.com.
Parkrun CEO Russ Jefferys commented on the significance of this partnership, stating, “This new relationship with SportsShoes.com signifies an exciting step forward for parkrun, as we work to improve the parkrun experience and retail offering, for our global community. Together we will support people to make healthier and happier choices and we are thrilled to embark on this journey with SportsShoes.com as our trusted retail partner.”
Additionally, the partnership enhances the benefits for SportsShoes.com Ultra members, allowing them to link their parkrun ID to their customer profiles to access exclusive rewards and expert advice.
Brett Bannister, Managing Director of SportsShoes.com, highlighted the synergy between the two organizations, noting parkrun’s transformative impact on the global running community. “Its mission aligns perfectly with ours at SportsShoes.com, which sees us always exploring new ways to support more people to lead happier and healthier lives through physical activity. This is our biggest ever retail partnership and will further support our international expansion strategy by placing our brand, products, and expertise at the heart of the worldwide parkrun community,” Bannister said.
Established in 1982, SportsShoes.com offers an extensive range of products from over 150 global running and outdoor brands, including Brooks, parkrun’s Official Global Footwear partner. The retailer maintains a strong presence in the running community, with exclusive partnerships and events like England Athletics and RunThrough.
In a recent announcement, SportsShoes.com revealed plans for the SportsShoes.com Podium Festival, a community running and brand exhibition event scheduled for March 16, 2024, in Leicester. This event, featuring a £30,000 prize pot, is set to be one of the largest domestic racing events in terms of prize money. It will also include an exclusive brand village hosting 10 of SportsShoes.com’s brand partners.
