Virgin Money London Marathon sponsor New Balance is plotting an on-course activation at this Sunday’s race to help give runners an unexpected boost at the most daunting part.
The global athletics brand will have a presence at mile 24, the Blackfriars underpass, with a drumming band and cheer squad to keep people going.
The Blackfriars section of the course is notorious among runners due to its long and lonely crowd-free underpass, which also features an uphill exit just as they head towards the final stretch.
This year, rather than facing the dark underpass and uphill pull alone, they’ll be met by activation, which is being created by brand experience specialist RPM.
“Without crowds to cheer them on and 23 gruelling miles behind them, the uphill exit of the underpass can be a very dark stretch,” said Sam Matthews, senior marketing manager at New Balance. “New Balance always has its runners’ backs though, and we’re delighted to be offering this year’s participants a little boost of energy as they get so close to the last miles of the race.”
New Balance is also hosting a host of other activations around the event at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon Running Show, which starts today (24) and runs until Saturday.
The Virgin Money London Marathon Running Show is free for runners and their supporters to attend and features an Instagram competition giving away a pair of trainers every hour; a space where the public can ask Runner’s World pacers any last-minute questions; giveaways of race essentials and more.
