Sports are stepping into run culture
Clubs and leagues have begun rolling out running experiences designed to be accessible, catering to all abilities, from walking through to competitive running
Commonwealth Bank was confirmed as the Founding Partner and Official Bank of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in a deal that was reported to be worth at least $200 million by the Australian Financial Review - the bank partnered with ‘Those Carter Boys’ to help roll out the announcement on social media
Victoria Racing Club announced a 7-year partnership with Asahi Beverages which will provide racegoers with its beer and cider porfolio including Carlton Draught, Asahi Super Dry, Balter XPA and Somersby’s cider, plus mid-strength offerings such as Great Northern Super Crisp
AFL secured a multi-year partnership renewal with Chemist Warehouse which is deepening its investment in umpires - Over the next 5 years, every pack of Gello Beans and Gello Snakes sold at Chemist Warehouse will contribute to a minimum $1 million investment in the AFL Umpires High Performance Pathway
AFL and Colgate extended their partnership which includes Naming Rights to the AFL Brownlow Medal Red Carpet - now known as the Colgate Red Carpet
NFL announced a new multi-year partnership with South Australian brand Y Series which became the Official Wine Sponsor of the NFL in Australia and New Zealand
Port Adelaide and Ray White extended their partnership for a further 3 years which will see the Ray White brand continue to feature across activations at Adelaide Oval and the Naming Rights of the exclusive House on the Hill hospitality experience
North Melbourne secured a 2-year partnership with Stomping Ground
Brisbane Lions welcomed Buffalo Trace Bourbon as an Official Partner of the club
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles announced a new partnership with Employment Hero (the AI-powered employment operating system is already powering the Club’s HR, payroll and employment workflows through a single, connected system)
Gold Coast Titans announced that My Holiday (Ignite Travel Group) will continue its partnership in 2026 marking the 4th consecutive year of collaboration between the pair
Brisbane Broncos secured a partnership extension with Higgins Coatings for the 2026–27 seasons - To mark the renewal, Higgins Coatings refreshed the Cyril Connell Performance Centre at Red Hill
South Australian Cricket Association announced it’s joining forces with Ambra Spirits (renowned globally for its award-winning Limoncello) - As part of the agreement, Ambra Spirits will feature prominently across SACA events
Melbourne Victory announced P3 Recovery as the Club’s Official Recovery Partner, and a new partnership with family-run Roasting Warehouse, which will help fuel players and staff at Victory
Run Nation Championship, the new impact sport that Tai ‘Bam Bam’ Tuivasa is behind, announced a new partnership with , a premium access platform designed to unlock exclusive offers from over 1000 brands
Two of Australia’s fastest athletes, Lachlan Kennedy and Torrie Lewis became Longines brand ambassadors for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
AIA Australia announced a new partnership with Lance (Buddy) and Jesinta Franklin
Los Angeles Rams teamed up with The Wiggles for a crossover moment to promote their match against the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG later this year
Netball Australia locked in a 5-year media rights partnership with Nine which will see every Suncorp Super Netball match and all Australian Diamonds matches broadcast across one or more of the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport (It also includes the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027) - Australian Diamonds star and players association president Jo Weston called for a pay increase following the announcement
NBL and Nine announced a new 2-year agreement that will see 2 x free-to-air NBL games available every week across the 9Network, including Finals games - Nine’s NBL coverage will sit alongside the WNBL which secured a new partnership with Nine last year
FIFA wrote to Anthony Albanese urging the federal government to help support the construction of a permanent home of football in Australia
The 2026 State of Origin series was launched in Melbourne at the MCG
SEN’s Tom Morris reported that Adelaide Oval is working on a plan to bring an Indian Premier League cricket match to Australia next year
NSW Government entered into a new partnership with the PGA of Australia to secure the return of the Australian PGA Championship to NSW for the first time since 1998 - The 2026 BMW Australian PGA Championship will tee off from 26th-29th November at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney
NBL announced that it will deliver another 7% increase to player payments for the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 Season
Chris Kohler posted a funny take on the histroic adidas x Puma feud to promote an episode of his new ‘How we got here’ podcast
Tasmanian Government unveiled a shortlist of 2 major international contractors to deliver Hobart’s proposed new $1.13 billion AFL stadium - BESIX Watpac and the Constructure Joint Venture
Melbourne Demons held discussions with Carlton FC about staging a marquee mental health game in 2027 - this follows the hospitalisation of Elijah Hollands, and Jack Ginnivan and Bailey Smith calling for the AFL to introduce a dedicated mental health round
Melbourne Park announced global ticketing provider AXS as its new ticketing partner for year-round events (outside the Australian Open)
Invictus Games Foundation announced the launch of the Invictus Australia Sports Festival, a brand-new international adaptive sports event set to take place in Perth, Australia, in October 2026
Sports are stepping into run culture
To leverage the growing run club movement over recent years, brands have been aggressively competing to put themselves at the heart of run communities and culture, in an attempt to form connections with runners, build their brands and generate commercials returns.
Related: How brands are leveraging the rapid rise of run clubs
Sports are now following suit.
Clubs and leagues have begun rolling out running experiences designed to be accessible, catering to all abilities, from walking through to competitive running.
Why sports are leaning-in to running culture
Fan engagement – Fun runs can create or contribute to a festival-like atmosphere that extends well beyond a match day experience. They can provide new touchpoints beyond the season calendar, helping sports reach broader and younger audiences (particularly the 18–35 demographic), while deepening existing fan relationships.
Fundraising – At scale, community participation becomes a powerful fundraising engine. Multiple sports have launched running-themed events to support club & community foundations, charity partners, and important causes in a highly-engaging way.
Commercial – Each event creates a new monetisable asset that can be unlocked via sponsorship, ticketing and merchandise.
Here are some recent case studies worth noticing…👇
During Gather Round, the AFL introduced its inaugural ‘Run 4 Your Club’ fun run
The unique concept drew 700+ fans, each representing their club as they ran, jogged or walked a 4km course along the River Torrens on Saturday morning. Participation and performance fed into a leaderboard, with Hawthorn claiming the inaugural title.
Dylan Buckley was an ambassador for the event which raised more than $7,000 for the Adelaide Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Sydney Swans & Nike teamed up with the Coogee Run Club to announce its new partnership earlier this year
In the lead up to the start of the 2026 AFL season, Sydney Swans announced Nike as its Official Apparel and Footwear partner across its AFL, AFLW, VFL, QBE Sydney Swans Academy and ARA First Nations Academy teams. The ‘one club’ partnership was launched at Coogee Beach and celebrated with an event at the Coogee Pavilion.
Canberra Raiders hosted a community fun run for its members and fans
Hosted in partnership with the Stromlo Running Festival, Raiders fans took part in a 5km or 10km run or walk around Lake Burley Griffin, all while raising vital funds for Hands Across Canberra. Club sponsor Under Armour got behind the event.
Carlton Football Club hosted ‘Run for Respect’ to drive awareness and fundraising for its flagship community initiative
In February, fans joined players and staff to take part in either a 400m Junior Dash, 3km, 5km or 10km walk, jog or run around Princes Park and the club’s home, IKON Park. The event aimed to drive awareness, and support fundraising efforts of the club’s flagship community initiative, ‘Carlton Respects’ - an initiative established in 2016, designed to promote gender equality for the prevention of violence against women.
A suite of sponsors signed up to support the cause, including Bupa (Presenting Partner), Puma (Silver Partner), 13cabs, Hyundai, Ampol and Gatorade.
Running events were a popular choice for brands and teams during this year’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026
Gatorade launched its ‘Run The Track’ running event, giving 1400+ fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race on the iconic Albert Park Circuit.
Peloton joined forces with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team to transform Riviera Beach Club into a one-day-only fitness paddock – as part of the event participants hit the streets for a 5K run - here
adidas hosted community morning runs from the Audi Revolut F1 Team activation at AFLOAT on the Yarra River - here
The BWT Alpine Formula One Team joined forces with Beforeyouspeak Coffee to host a run through the streets of Melbourne and a Hyrox-style workout - here
Nedd Brockmann hosted a fun run from PUMA’s ‘Ignition Beach’ pop activation in St Kilda to help promote PUMA’s Deviate NITRO 4 shoe
Related: The ultimate Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026 off-track activity wrap
Running events are being launched around marathon running events
Pre-marathon “shakeout” runs were a popular brand activation during last year’s Sydney Marathon - many brands partnered with local run clubs and community groups in the lead up to race day.
New Balance x Unofficial Run Club shakeout:
adidas x 440 Run Club shakeout - here
ASICS shakeout - here
ASICS x Pace Athletic shakeout - here
Brooks x parkrun shakeout - here
lululemon shakeout - here
LSKD x PILLAR Performance shakeout - here
On x Sydney Run Club shakeout - here
Peloton x Beyond Blue shakeout - here
Tracksmith x Up There Athletics shakeout - here
Related: How sports retail brands got active around the Sydney Marathon
Even sports business events are adopting the format
Last year, the Sports Tech World Series event teamed up with the Australian Corporate Games to host a relaxed 5km run around the MCG and Yarra Park, blending networking with participation.
The sports x running trend is a global one
Some of the world’s biggest sports teams have launched running-themed events and initiatives. For example:
USA
New York Giants - NY5K
Chicago Bears - PNC Chicago Bears 5K
LA Kings - LA Kings 5K
Philadelphia Eagles - Eagles Autism Challenge
New Orleans Saints - Saints Kickoff Run
Europe / UK
Liverpool FC - Run to Anfield
Paris Saint-Germain F.C - PSG Run Paris
Real Madrid - Real Madrid Foundation Charity Run
FC Barcelona - Barca Run Sao Paulo
Sports organisations are increasingly creating new experiences beyond matchday to generate non-traditional revenue streams, and increasingly, fun runs are part of the plan.
These running events help position sport teams and leagues as:
Purpose-driven
Community-first
Sponsor-friendly
The upside is material - By hosting fun run events, sports organisations can build deeper, more personal connections with participants and fans, invent more authentic ways to deliver impact for communities and causes, and build new commercial assets that can be monetised.
Are there any other sports x running partnerships worth noticing?
160over90 - Social Media Coordinator
2XU - Head of Marketing
Adelaide United FC - Partnerships Manager
adidas - Manager, Golf Marketing
Australian Sports Commission - Director - Sporting Schools
Amer Sports - Marketing Operations Manager
Amer Sports - National Account Manager - Salomon Sportstyle
Basketball Magic - Marketing Manager
Basketball Tasmania - Chief Executive Officer
Brisbane Broncos - Marketing Campaign Executive
Brisbane Bullets - Corporate Sales Manager
Brisbane City Council - Manager, Sport and Community Partnerships
Bursty - Account Manager
Callaway Golf - eCommerce Coordinator
Champion Data - Broadcast Project Manager
Champion Data - Product Manager
Cowboys Community Foundation - Marketing, PR & Content Manager
Cricket NSW - Social Media Specialist
Cronulla Sharks - Digital Content Producer
Cronulla Sharks - Media & Communications Executive
Cronulla Sharks - Partnerships Executive
Culture Kings - Marketing Manager
Culture Kings - Paid Social Content Specialist
Entain Australia & New Zealand - Head of Performance & Digital Media
Essendon FC - EEA Student Recruitment and Marketing Coordinator
Essendon FC - Head of Events (Parental leave cover)
Essendon FC - Functions & Marketing Manager
Fanatics - Head of Operations (AUS/NZ)
Fever - Senior Sponsorship Sales Manager
Football Australia - Business Development Executive
Football Victoria - Head of Competitions
Fremantle FC - Partnerships Account Manager
Gemba - Sponsorship Valuation Analyst
Gold Coast SUNS - Graphic Designer
Grill’d - Partnerships Manager
JD Sports - Head of Performance Marketing
JD Sports - Senior Affiliates Manager
Lion - Brand Manager
LSKD - E-Commerce Manager
Melbourne Storm - General Manager – Commercial, Partnerships and Sales
Melbourne Racing Club - Design Manager
Moonee Valley Racing Club - Social Content & Digital Producer (6-month contract)
NBL - Partnerships Manager
Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 - Digital Marketing Manager
Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 - Ticketing & Hospitality Lead
Nike - Director of Stores, Pacific
North Melbourne FC - Senior Events Manager
North Queensland Cowboys - Head of Marketing
NSW Institute of Sport - General Manager, Corporate Services
NSW Rugby League - Head of Commercial & Communications
Penrith Panthers - Merchandise and Licensing Executive
Perth Bears - Head of Technology, Data & Innovation
Pixellot - Regional Commercial Partnerships Manager
PointsBet - Sports Content Trader
Pont3 - Partnerships Coordinator
PILLAR Performance - Editor / Filmer (Social + Ads)
PILLAR Performance - Marketing Coordinator
PUMA - Area Manager - Multi State
Queensland Cricket - Marketing Manager
Queensland Academy of Sport- Head of Brand and Partnerships
Red Bull - Head of Motorsports Marketing
Salomon - Brand Marketing Specialist- Performance
Sports Direct Australia - Visual Merchandise Lead
Sports Entertainment Network - AFL Record Supervisor
Sports Entertainment Network - Commercial Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Commercial Manager - Tasmania
Sports Entertainment Network - Group Partnership Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Fan Engagement Officer
Sports Entertainment Network - Head of Commercial
Sports Entertainment Network - Strategy & Solutions Manager
State Sport Centres - Sports Technology Supervisor
Superist - Head of Marketing (iGaming & Sportsbook)
Sydney Roosters - Foundation Manager
Tabcorp - Marketing Executive - Sport & Racing
TaylorMade Golf - Marketing Coordinator
Tennis Australia - Publicity Manager - Participation
The Sports Corp - Sponsorship Sales Executive - NSW
Ticketmaster Australia - Marketing Associate - Rugby World Cup (Fixed Term)
Touch Football Australia - Content Producer
Tradable Bits - Senior Customer Success Manager, APAC
Transurban - Manager Partnerships and Sponsorships
Two Circles - Delivery Lead
Victoria Racing Club - Customer Relationship Management Analyst
Victorian Racing Club - Corporate Sales Coordinator
Western Bulldogs - Video Producer
World Masters Games Perth 2029 - Director - Marketing, Development & Participant Recruitment
World Rugby - CRM Specialist
World Rugby - Partnership Specialist
World Surf League - Producer, Social
WPP - Sports & Entertainment Partnerships Associate Director
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