How New Balance Shaped the Historic 2026 London Marathon

Sunday was a day flush with records at the London Marathon. Three men beat the previous world record for the distance, including the first two to surpass the two-hour barrier, a new women’s only world record was set and more people finished than in any other marathon in history.

Adidas shoes were on the feet of both new record holders, but it was New Balance‘s logo on the bibs for all 59,226 finishers. The Boston-based sportswear company has now been the official sponsor of the London Marathon for nine consecutive years, and global marketing director of running Erica Tappin spoke with Footwear News for a debrief on the historic race and the days for all of activations that preceded it.

“So many people can sit back and marvel at breaking two [hours] regardless of what shoes people are wearing or the runner who’s doing it,” Tappin said. “Obviously they should receive a lot of credit, but it’s going to lift the entire category. It also provides a bit of attention to the sport and keeps the competition healthy. It’s fun for our brands to continue to push innovation and create products that can continue to have these runners perform at the highest level.”

The New Balance Run House was central to the brand’s presence on the ground over the weekend. New Balance took residence in the historic Somerset House complex. Open Friday through Sunday, the space held sessions for running, body regulation, and stretching, as well as race prep, arts and crafts and parties.

Among New Balance’s many partners was Run the Boroughs, a London run club with an artist among its members who worked with the brand to put up several murals throughout the course. Run the Boroughs was also one of four local clubs — along with LES Run, Deaf Running Club and Runner Beans — to help host three dedicated cheer zones at miles 8, 16.3 and 25.

“[With all] of the people that we work with, whether they’re run crews or ambassadors, we’re looking for long-term relationships based on our shared values,” Tappin said. “We’re proud of working with different partners who many not have the reach of bigger run crews because it’s not about the numbers for us. If that scales outward, amazing, but that’s not why we do it.”

Even for those not engaging with the marathon in some form, New Balance would have still been hard to avoid with its “Run Your Way” campaign taking ad spots throughout the Underground, including one full side of the escalator path at Green Park Station, and wrapping London’s famous hackney carriages.

Charity is of particular importance to the London Marathon, even compared to other races, as this year’s edition broke yet another record, surpassing $118 million. The spirit of giving might also go to explain why a sense of joy was so palpable throughout the weekend, best exemplified by the abundance of runners who wore costume as part of their fundraising efforts.

“What we’re finding is that there’s more and more people who are starting running, who may be running for their mental health or trying to clear their mind,” Tappin said. “If we can provide them with the right running solution or race experience to help provide that joyful run, that’s really what we’re all about, so the London Marathon is the perfect partnership for that reason as well.”

New Balance’s other sponsored race among the World Major Marathons is New York City, which has gone back and forth with London over the past several years in breaking each other’s finisher records. But with rumors indicated London may expand to a second day in 2027, it may become untouchable for both participation and the duration of such fun.