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We have 34 new press releases this week.
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Ragnar is nearing a handoff to new owners after parent company FitLab filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware. FitLab listed $100 million to $500 million in liabilities against $10 million to $50 million in assets. The filing follows reports of missed payroll and vendor lawsuits, and covers 23 FitLab entities, including Y7 Studio and Mile High Run Club.
London Marathon CEO Hugh Brasher says organizers may bring back male pacers for the elite women's race in 2027 in a bid for a world record. The race moves to two days, April 24 and 25, with elite men and women racing separately for the first time. A decision is expected in January.
Ahead of the TCS New York City Marathon, run clubs have gone from niche scene to a near baseline expectation for marathon sponsors. Brands from outside fitness are piling in: about 30% of brands in TikTok running content this year come from outside the industry, up from 25%.
Brooks Running posted its 13th straight quarter of revenue growth, with year-to-date revenue up 12% as EMEA jumped 24% and the Americas and APAC each rose 9%. Footwear grew 11% and apparel 18%. In Q3, the Hyperion Elite franchise rose 68% and trail climbed 44%.
WHOOP has signed LeBron James as a brand ambassador, formalizing an 11-year relationship that includes a limited-edition band designed with his input. James is already a WHOOP investor. The company was valued at $10.1 billion after a $575 million raise in March, when it reported more than 2.5 million members.
In Slovakia's High Tatras, the Sherpa Rallye has mountain porters race a rocky 5.7 km trail to a hut nearly 2,000 meters up. Men haul 60 kg loads, including a 30-liter beer keg, and women carry 20 kg. Started in 1985, the race stocks the hut for winter at little cost.
World Triathlon has made Hybrid Racing an official discipline through a new partnership with HYROX, which becomes the exclusive operator of elite World, Continental and National Championships. Both sides are targeting Multi-Sport Games and, ultimately, the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Garmin posted record Q3 revenue of $1.99 billion, up 12%, as operating income jumped 34% to $612 million. Fitness revenue rose 16% on wearables demand and Outdoor climbed 20% on adventure watches, pushing full-year revenue guidance to about $8.15 billion from $8.05 billion.
Shimano raised its full-year operating profit forecast by about 16% after a stronger-than-expected third quarter. Bike component sales rose 14%, with a 13.8% segment operating margin.
Mads Pedersen and 11 other Danish athletes are suing HBO, alleging it used their images without permission to promote HBO Max during the 2024 Olympics. The group, which also includes handball, badminton and golf stars, is seeking about €270,000 in a case set for Denmark's Maritime and Commercial High Court on October 26.
The UK will spend about $85 million to host the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes grands départs, roughly $14 million for each of six days of racing. Fans will also pay up to about $130 to attend the Edinburgh Castle opening ceremony and team presentation, which is usually free.
Lululemon has settled with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over his April probe into possible PFAS "forever chemicals" in its activewear. The company agreed to enforce chemical safety standards across its supply chain for three years through independent lab testing or third-party certifications, with no financial penalty and no admission of wrongdoing.
While cycling media went digital, the team behind 111 issues of Peloton magazine went back to print with Fausto, and nine issues in, it's thriving. The print-first title publishes five 148-page magazines and one 48-page newspaper a year, has partnered with the Tour de France since its first issue and landed the North American rights to the Tour de France Guide.
Deckers Brands posted record second-quarter sales of $1.48 billion, up 3.5%. HOKA grew 6.8% to $677.2 million and UGG rose 3.5% to $786.4 million, while direct-to-consumer sales slipped 1.8%.
The Athletics Integrity Unit banned Ethiopian marathoner Ruti Aga for six years after she tested positive for methylprednisolone and submitted a fake prescription from a clinic that doesn't exist.
ASICS and the University of Michigan have opened AMSI Lab, a $25 million research and development laboratory on U-M's Ann Arbor campus. The lab aims to turn university research into new technologies and product concepts for running performance, footwear and apparel.
Red Bull is moving into fitness racing with Power Race, a new competition series that wrapped its first season in Bangkok on October 18 after national events in Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand. The equipment-free format drew athletes from 33 countries and territories, and Red Bull's Thai parent TCP Group says the goal is to tap young adults' growing appetite for new ways to work out.
JOBS
Realbuzz - Head of US Event Partnerships
Boston Athletic Association - B.A.A. Youth Program Manager
NOBULL - Sr. Copywriter
NOBULL - Key Holder
ARC’TERYX - Account Manager, Project Beta
ARC’TERYX - Account Manager, South Central – USA
New Balance - Director, Global Retail Technology Products
Brooks Running - Senior Apparel Innovation Designer, Advanced
Brooks Running - Director, Color & Trend Footwear Design
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