Coffee with Larry, Episode 767, July 15, 2025, Talking about the business of running

This is my daily chat with #RunBlogRun viewers and track fans on all things track & field!

This is #CoffeewithLarry, Episode 767, July 15, 2025, Talking about Footwear and Sports Marketing

This Day in Track & Field-December 2, Frank Shorter wins Fukuoka Marathon for third time (1973), Born this Day: Mike Larrabee, two-time 1964 Olympic gold medalist (400m, 4x400m), written by Walt Murphy

The Brooks Run Guide Interviews, Julian Florez, Assistant Coach, Brooks Beasts Track Club, Episode 9

The Brooks Run Guide, A Brooks Coaching Newsletter, Back Issues (#1-#9), Fall/Winter 2025

1. Without an iconic shoe, like the Saucony Hurricane, Brooks Ghost, adidas Villanova, NIKE Pegasus, brands have a hard time.

Alf Shrubb wore shoes made by Joe Foster, who became Reebok. Reebok was purchased in 1981 by Paul Fireman and the rest is history.

2. Sports marketing is supposed to build up the story around a brand, some works, some does not. #DanandDave by #Reebok comes to mind.

2024 adidas Atlanta City Games, photo by Kevin Morris

3. There is little differentiation between brands today, part of that is the demise of print platform. The combination of print, digital social and podcast builds brands, but much of enthusiast print in US has been destroyed by brands no longer supporting the iconic magazines in their cultures. The running culture likes competition and competition elicits better running shoes.

The 50th NIKE Pre Classic was held on 5 July 2025, photo by Brian Eder for RunBlogRun.

4. The people in sports marketing that I have met love the sport, or they do not survive.

Josh Kerr signs 10 year extension with Brooks! photo by JOhnny Pace and Brooks Running

See you tomorrow on Coffee with Larry!

Sponsors:

OMIUS is the cooling technology company, who makes headbands, visors and hats with cooling pods that keep you cool in hot and humid weather, find out more at www.omius.io

Brooks sponsors www.RunningNetwork.com and www.RunBlogRun.com, which they have since 1990. Find out more at www.brooksrunning.com

NIKE supports the #NIKEPreClassic, since 1978 and helped #RunBlogRun in their goal of covering the 50th NIKE Pre Classic. Find out more on NIKE at www.nikerunning.com

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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