Advertorial
Sponsored stories created in collaboration with a brand, written in Like the Wind’s editorial style. These pieces provide valuable content for readers while featuring the brand partnership behind them.
The future is a land of possibilities
One of the great challenges in running today is finding a way to combine sustainability and performance in a running shoe. The planet demands shoes that do less harm, and runners demand footwear that ensures they’ll perform at their best. Zen Running Club is on a mission to create footwear that will fulfil both demands. And the brand intends to share the journey with everyone. Welcome to the FUTUREproject, a three-year mission to build a biodegradable super-shoe.
[Re]Collect
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Boston, Massachusetts. The century-old Longfellow Bridge that spans the Charles River, the first of its kind to connect Cambridge and Boston, is 650m of transportation choreography at its finest: a ceaseless ballet of pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and commuter trains. In total, the city estimates that more than 125,000 people cross the bridge on a daily basis.
The time is now
If you take a moment to think about where you live, the opportunity to set yourself – and others – a challenge is close to hand, possibly right outside your door. Because while racing has its place, there is an alternative: attempting to set a fastest known time (FKT). Whether you live in the bustling city, tranquil countryside or in the shadow of the mountains, you simply pick a route, set your watch and go.
Now and then on the same track
Saturday night, 14 May 2016, was cold and overcast in Manchester, England. On the Sportcity track, two of the United Kingdom’s most celebrated middle-distance runners lined up against one another in a 1,500m heat. But this was one of only a couple of occasions when they would meet on the track.
A sense of place
Humans are excellent at adapting to their surroundings. The specific challenges of different environments prompt humans to create products to help them thrive. And it is in a place where the mountains meet the sea that the skills and resourcefulness to make some of the best footwear in the world were developed. This place is Diadora’s Italian home, Run Valley.
Opportunities for excellence
Like the Wind visited On’s youth training camp in the Swiss town of St Moritz to meet the 14 young participants from across Europe
Early morning, October 2023. The thin air does little to offset St Moritz’s early morning chill. Before the sun has crept above the surrounding mountain ridges, the path around the lake that sits just to the east of the town crunches with frost. The open- air running track glitters with icy particles. The young runners taking part in On’s second annual youth camp, seeing the town for the first time, are wrapped up in insulated jackets, their breath visible as they explore their home for the next 10 days.
St Moritz sits 1,800m above sea level in the Engadin valley. The town is perhaps best known as a winter resort (it’s been the venue for two winter Olympic Games) but in other seasons, it is the perfect European location for athletes wanting the benefits of altitude and first-class training facilities.
A Fresh Start
We all know the feeling. You’ve finished your session and the watch says it’s gone well. You’ve done what you set out to do. But something just doesn’t seem right. You should be exhilarated, but you actually feel like your feet weigh a ton. You unlace your shoes and suddenly all becomes clear: bunched-up, sweat-soaked socks.
Runners talk about shoes all the time – we can’t really help it. But the fabric between your shoes and your feet is arguably even more vital to achieving running happiness.
All We Need is an Island
The seven races that make up The North Face Transgrancanaria are a reflection of the island on which they take place. While each individual race (from the 126km classic to a vertical kilometre) offers something for everyone, the challenges are unforgiving. The terrain is varied. And the feeling you get is that these races are imbued with the indominable spirit that people of the isolated and weather-beaten island have forever displayed.
Gran Canaria is sometimes referred to as a “continent in miniature” because of its variety of geography. Despite having an area similar to that of London, Gran Canaria features wild mountains, deep ravines and ancient craters. The island is ringed by busy beach resorts and secluded coves. The cliffs known as Mirador del Balcón, in the Andén Verde area on Gran Canaria’s western edge, drop hundreds of feet almost vertically into the sea. On the southern tip of the island is a desert – the Dunas de Maspalomas. And in the interior, you’ll find great tracts of rainforest.
Everybody’s Local
London-based running crew Run The Boroughs (RTB) is the embodiment of the idea that running is for everyone. It was founded in late 2018 as a way for a group of friends to be more active – as well as to be sociable. Ben Ari, founder of RTB, explains: “The idea for Run The Boroughs was to create a crossover between running as part of our lifestyle and the performance side of the sport. The idea was to produce something that has less of an elitist approach to running.”
Embracing runners of all types has given Run The Boroughs a true community feel while also maintaining the sense that running is a challenge. For example, Ben points out that 22 members of RTB took part in the London Marathon in April 2023.