Conclusion

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."

- Steve Prefontaine

Throughout my exploration of all things running, I've come to realize its athletes are unique to any other sport. There are no teams, professional leagues, and most of the pressure is self-imposed. There are no substitutes or time outs, and the only thing driving you is...you.

When marketing to the runner demographic, it will always be function over fashion. What shoe an athlete chooses may determine if he can shave off the extra 10th of a second he needed to qualify or how successfully a marathon runner handles 26 miles of agony. The secret is personalization, that singular connection and attachment that runner has to the product...whether it be the newest pair of Nike Bowermans or Under Armour gear - that item is theirs. And if it works well, they'll stick to it. No star-studded campaign can save a shoddy product, and no state-of-the-art product can save an athlete who won't put himself out there to be nothing less than the best -- regardless of the sport.

With the collaboration of advertising, PR, distribution, the innovations that keep runners coming back for more are raising the sport to a whole new level. It is no longer just a hobby for weekend joggers and athletes between seasons...it is mainstream. People are starting to pay attention to marathon runners and Olympic sprinters because their names are getting out there. Corporations are sponsoring them, kids admire them. They are athletes, and to me there is no greater sport.