Wolverine's Sweaty Betty links with Royal Parks Half Marathon

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Sep 1, 2022

In a fitting collaboration, women’s activewear brand Sweaty Betty has become official exclusive apparel partner of The Royal Parks Half Marathon in London.

And the draw for the Wolverine Worldwide-owned UK retailer to the 9 October event will be that 54% of the 16,000 runners taking part in the 13-mile run will be women, “making it one of the UK’s only major running events to have more female competitors than male”. 

It also fits well with Sweaty Betty’s commitment to “empowering women through fitness and beyond” which aligns with the Royal Parks Half Marathon’s emphasis on “fitness and shared values around sustainability and giving back”.

The ‘360 partnership’ allows Sweaty Betty to activate in four key areas: Giving Back, Community, Culture, and Product.

Giving Back will see 170 runners raising funds on behalf of the Sweaty Betty Foundation whose mission is to empower young girls from every background to get active, and stay active, for life. Every pound raised will be matched by Sweaty Betty founder Tamara Hill-Norton.
 
The Community aspect will see Sweaty Betty getting women of all ages and abilities to the start line by partnering with Emily Clarkson and The Have-A-Gos (HAGs), an organisation she started to break down the barriers to fitness and make sport less intimidating.
 
Culture will see it committed to "living out its mission alongside its community". Over 100 Sweaty Betty team members have committed to run the race and more than 50% of the company has pledged to complete personal fitness goals by the race date. 
 
Finally, Product sees the retailer continuing to invest in its running community “which represents a significant number of the customer base”. By Q1 2023, it said the category is expected to grow by more than 50%. In addition to ‘running heroes’ like the Zero Gravity franchise, Ultra-run bra, Fast Lane jacket, and Athlete group, Sweaty Betty said it will expand its run offer and introduce “newness across the full kit over the next year”.
 
The Sweaty Betty-sponsored day will also feature activations for runners in the event village include a warm-up and cool-down led by long-time partner Frame studio, hair braiding and skincare/sweat proof make-up stations, music provided by female DJ collective Superfoxx, and a ‘cheer mile’ which will include hundreds of the company's team and their family members.
 
CEO Julia Straus said: “As a  British heritage brand it is an honour to work with the Royal Parks Half Marathon, one of the most beautiful and iconic race routes in the world. The partnership allows us to engage and continue to grow our community in such a meaningful way with an organisation that truly aligns with our brand values.”