The Royal Parks Half Marathon, presented by Royal Bank of Canada, has announced British women’s activewear brand Sweaty Betty as the official exclusive apparel partner ahead of this year’s race on the 9th of October.
16,000 runners are set to take part in the event, 54% being women, making it one of the UK’s only major running events to have more female competitors than male.
Sweaty Betty’s commitment to its mission of empowering women through fitness and beyond aligns seamlessly 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 against four key areas: giving back, community, culture, and product.
Giving Back: 170 runners will participate and raise 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.
Community: Sweaty Betty is 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 the sport less intimidating. Forty HAGS will run the RPHM and raise funds for the Sweaty Betty Foundation.
Culture: Sweaty Betty is committed to living out its mission alongside its community. The Royal Parks Half Marathon partnership has inspired a season of activity and connection within the Sweaty Betty team.
Over 100 team members have committed to running the race and more than 50% of the company has pledged to complete personal fitness goals by the race date.
Product: Sweaty Betty continues to invest in its running community which represents a significant number of the customer base. By Q123 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 will expand their run offering and introduce newness across the full kit over the next year.
Says Julia Straus, Sweaty Betty’s CEO, “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 Sweaty Betty community in such a meaningful way with an organisation that truly aligns with our brand values. I can’t wait to take to the course with my team on the 9th in support of the Sweaty Betty Foundation.”
Alun Mainwaring, Head of Events at the Royal Parks, said: “The Royal Parks Half Marathon is delighted to be working with Sweaty Betty as an official event partner to give our runners the opportunity to be supported on race day by the Sweaty Betty community and its experts. As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, we look forward to making this year’s event the best yet.”
Sweaty Betty sponsored day of activations for runners in the event village includes a warm-up and cool-down led by long-time partner Frame studio, hair braiding and skincare/sweatproof makeup stations, tunes provided by female DJ collective Superfoxx, and a cheer mile which will include hundreds of the Sweaty Betty team and their family members.
The Royal Parks Half Marathon will be returning to its original route this year, meaning the 13.1mile run will lead its 16,000 participants through four of London’s eight Royal Parks, including Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.
Internationally recognised landmarks also form part of the race’s backdrop, including Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, Canada House, and Buckingham Palace, allowing the marathon to retain its title as one of the most visually stunning races on the planet.