Leading the Race: Insights into Sportswear Brands Performance

The Insights Behind the Sportswear Brands Ranking

Running has evolved from a sport to a lifestyle, with brands increasingly leveraging pivotal events like marathons to connect with both aspiring and professional runners in impactful ways. The recent New York City Marathon exemplifies this shift, as highlighted in the BoF article, How Marathons Became Fashion Shows. Brands such as New Balance, Hoka, Asics and Saucony turned the marathon into a showcase, with activations ranging from pop-ups and collaborations to exclusive sneaker releases, crafting immersive experiences for participants and fans alike.

Marathons are emerging as the ultimate stage for sportswear brands—events where performance meets lifestyle, and even a casual run becomes an experience. Tayler Willson, writer, brand consultant and marathonist pointed out in the article that “Even for casual runs some people will show up in hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise, from their shorts to their sunglasses to their sneakers.”

In a booming sportswear market, where marathons have a global appeal, developing a winning strategy is essential. For brands, this means becoming the top choice for runners as they select their next outfit. Blending performance with lifestyle is the first step, but understanding the data behind brand performance is what unlocks sustained success. At Launchmetrics, we’ve analyzed performance of five leading sportswear brands during the month of October, uncovering the winning strategies.covering three key winning approaches.

• Influence Through Community Endorsements. Authentic connections with the running community begin with endorsements from influential personalities. Key figures such as ultramarathoner Natalie Day, drove $771K in MIV for Asics, and marathoner Thalya Hillebrant, garnered $353K in MIV for Mizuno, underlining the powerful role of trusted athletes in strengthening brand credibility. From fitness trainers to Ironman athletes, these advocates resonate deeply within the community, positioning brands like Salomon, Saucony and Hoka as trusted choices.
• Leverage Diverse Voices to Drive Market-Specific Performance. Maximizing impact across global markets requires a multi-faceted approach to Voice strategy, tailored to each region. New Balance exemplifies this, strategically engaging different Voices to align with regional goals. The Influencer Voice took the lead in China, generating $3.9M in Media Impact Value® (MIV®), while Media amplification in Japan drove $14.1M in MIV. In the US, Celebrity endorsements contributed nearly $2M in MIV, demonstrating the importance of regionalized Voice strategies in bolstering brand visibility.
• Strategic Partnerships Enhance Global Reach. Partnerships are instrumental in extending influence and connecting with athletes worldwide. Hoka’s partnership with Ironman exemplifies this synergy, with the Ironman Triathlon contributing $113K in MIV referring to the recent Kona World Championship in their social channels. As the official running shoe of Ironman, Hoka’s limited edition collections strengthen its presence, driving global brand visibility and engagement.

Marathons serve as significant visibility drivers for sportswear brands globally, but the impact must go beyond these singular events to become part of consumers’ everyday choices. As brands invest heavily in marathon-centered activations, it’s essential to benchmark performance against competitors and assess the ROI of these initiatives. Discover how your brand performed at the latest New York City Marathon and gain insights to strategically prepare for 2025, ensuring sustained relevance in the sportswear landscape.