Before the NYC Marathon, I asked what events you wanted to see around marathon weekend. And after the marathon, I wrote about the events that I attended, most of which were quite spiritually fulfilling. And even the superficial one ticked my boxes of things I like.
I got one comment from
(who has quietly been doing the yeoman’s work of compiling a full directory of publications about running on Substack) that she couldn’t quite tell whether I was tired of the masses of corporate marketing activations or celebrating the creativity on display.Surprise, friends: it’s both. For me, anyway.
As someone who only wants more products of human creativity in the world, it was a carnival of brilliant minds. It worked for me because I wasn’t preparing to run 26.2 miles through the five boroughs. If I had been, I would’ve forced myself to stay away and preserve my legs. Traversing the streets of SoHo was an energy-sapping experience.
As for the marathon itself? It just fortified my desire to not run a large marathon. It was too loud and messy for me, and traveling to the start line was reported to be a hideous experience. I’m not paying $300 for that. I run to have fun. None of that qualifies.
The best thing about the major marathon race weekend experience? It’s different for every single person that engages with it, depending on why they’re there and what they want to get out of it.
Variety is the spice of life, I think.
If you’re interested in the photos I took in New York, pop over to my Instagram for some love letters to the people I hung out with there. A few more to come!
Name three major marathons
One of the trends that I’ve noticed over the past year or so is retro marathon t-shirts.
of Running Supply has been partnering with Tracksmith to curate a location-specific capsule at the majors, which was very cool to see in-person.
Los Angeles-area brand Sauri hosted a similar event at the LA Marathon in March, and Rematch Club does this in France, popping up at Distance.
stocks vintage marathon tees at Running Wylder in SF, and partnered with and Cole for an incredibly fun-looking event at the Boston Marathon in the spring. I also saw Drew of Miler Running showing a collection at the Miler pop-up last weekend. It’s a popular phenomenon.Obviously, retro marathon t-shirts are incredibly cool, but they also fit into the reduce, repair, reuse, recycle philosophy. The t-shirts being cotton, rather than polyester, means that they can also rot, for a fifth R.
One thought I had while perusing Cole and Drew’s collections, however, was, ‘What if someone like Target or H&M parachuted in and started selling mass-produced ‘vintage’ marathon tees?’ I was in Target the other day and they had a Christmas range of cotton/poly vintage-style beverage t-shirts. Think: Coca-Cola; Miller High Life; Budweiser.
It reminded me of seeing Metallica and Motörhead merch in H&M. As a trve music fan, I adhere to buying my band merch from the stand at the show. It’s a badge of honor that tells anyone that sees me that I spent time watching live music. Just like the marathon tees tell people that you ran 26.2 miles in 1983 or whenever.
There are a lot of parallels between the music world that I used to inhabit and the running world, where I am now. Ultimately, they’re just two subcultures that reflect the wider world, and the people within both of them can be equally protective of their spaces.
I worry that in this moment, where we don’t love the present, we are seeking to purchase authenticity via tangible memories. I worry that we’ll fully commoditize this retro fun, and we’ll start to hate that too.
I spoke to
of Running Supply about why he’s so deep into the world of vintage marathon t-shirts, and going back to the creativity that I love to see around marathon weekend, Cole’s enthusiasm was perfect.“I like vintage generally, but started collecting local race tees (to Boston and Buffalo) because that was meaningful to me. I’m collecting local history. It’s been amazing researching the provenance of vintage running tees, especially ones outside of the major marathons, and learning about races that no longer exist, or ones that have been going on in small communities for decades.”
“For me, it’s a way of staying connected to running and remembering what really matters – which is the races, memories, and friends. The tees are all nostalgic, and the graphics are awesome – much less cluttered than they are today. ”
And is there any stolen valor in wearing a marathon tee that you didn’t ‘earn’?
“Definitely some. More so if you don’t run at all, but less than wearing army vet stuff, say!”
I asked that question while wearing a Supreme hat. I have never, ever set foot on a skateboard.
About Atwill
What about new retro? It’s worked for Tracksmith with their deep Americana vibes. Now we have Atwill.
Back in Oct 2024, one reader, Richard Vincent replied to my article titled, ‘Do Normos Want to Dress Like Runners?’ It was just a quick thought from me about whether everyday people will ever be attracted to dressing in neon green (any shade of green is a big color at the moment imho) or dressing like a desert-bound space creature.
I thought there needed to be running clothes that would look appropriate in everyday situations. Something you could wear to truly blend in at brunch.
Richard was writing to inform me about the running apparel brand that he was working on that aligned with that exact thought, aiming for “playful and casual.” “It’s for people who love to run but don’t necessarily want to dress like ‘runners.’”
A year later, that brand has become Atwill. Richard sent over a couple of t-shirts, a pair of shorts, and they’re all firmly in my rotation.
The t-shirts are a cotton/modal mix and give a rugby/boat club vibe with their stripes. I like the raglan sleeves as much as the look of them. Indeed, my boys have both commented very positively on the design. They noticed they look different . If the opinions of a 4yr old and an 8yr old who see all manner of run kit on their old man mean anything to you, there you are.
It’s nice seeing quality (made in Portugal) performance running apparel that has an element of vintage British preppy design to it. Short shorts and a sodden singlet isn’t always the most appealing outfit to others. It’s a theme, but I love the creativity in running at the moment, and when someone’s doing something a little bit different to everyone else, it’s that bit more exciting.
Check Atwill out on their website and on Instagram
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Book update
This is Running is available in Australia at last! Head over to Booktopia. More links to come, no doubt.
The US release date has been moved forward to 07 April 2026. Apparently the May 19 date was simply a clerical error. This means that I need to get to Boston! Not to run it, don’t worry.
I’ve had a couple of nice reviews from Anne Helen Petersen and Laura Green.
This is Running - purchase links
USA - Bookshop US | Barnes & Noble | Amazon US
UK - Bookshop UK | Waterstones | Amazon UK
Australia - Booktopia
Canada - Indigo | Amazon CA
Germany - Amazon DE
Running Sucks Haiku of the Week
A three-day week? And
the little one’s got a cough.
And my wife’s away.
Ooh, we do not all have the same 24 hours in a day. Sometimes I take a week off work. Sometimes work takes a week off from me. Either way, we all have some non-negotiables in life! A long-read coming next week with the director of The Running Event – the biggest running trade show in the world. It’s a fun one, I think.
Thanks for reading
Raz x
It's interesting how you pinpont such unique spiritul fulfillment and creative brilliance in the marathon's surrounding events, yet find the main race itself so off-putting and corporate; it's a fascinating distinction to draw.
I ran the famed Peachtree Road Race for the first time this year, and while there are many things about that race that don't inspire creativity, the vintage tee game is aces: The number of wizened older runners sporting their vintage Peachtree RR shirts (the 80s designs! the colors! the absence of logos!) was SO COOL. Many of them also add a label declaring how many they've run and that is really awe-inspiring.