Global athletics brand New Balance and wellness empire Kic have announced a two-year extension to their Kicrun partnership, reinforcing their commitment to empowering people across the country to run their way.
To mark the milestone, New Balance and Kic launched the ‘The Morning Runway’, a five-day AM takeover at Archie’s All Day cafe in Fitzroy. Activating across one of the busiest weeks for fashion in Melbourne, the events flipped the script on traditional beauty standards, shifting the focus from how you look to how you feel.
Each morning, the Kic community alongside the general public were invited to join a 3km and 5km run through Carlton Gardens before returning to Archie’s for complimentary coffee and breakfast, all whilst trialling the latest Triple Pink Rebel v4 running shoe from New Balance.
With Mango leading the earned PR, influencer and event activation, MediaHub bolstered awareness by installing a series of OOH street posters across Fitzroy and Collingwood, featuring creative designs that included a QR code for event registration. This was paired with paid media across New Balance social channels.
Since partnering in 2023 through the Kicrun initiative, New Balance and Kic have inspired thousands of Australian runners to celebrate their individuality in movement. To date, Kicrun participants have completed over 429,000 runs, covering more than 1.5m kilometres.
The partnership has also created Kicrun Club, a nationwide series of inclusive IRL run clubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and London that are designed to provide a safe, welcoming space for runners of all levels.
Kic co-founder and running advocate Laura Henshaw shared her excitement for the next phase of the partnership, stating: “At Kic, running isn’t just about physical movement – it’s about confidence, community, and feeling empowered in your own skin. Self-doubt is the biggest barrier holding us back, but our partnership with New Balance has helped thousands of people overcome these self-limiting beliefs and embrace running in a way that feels right for them. Together, we’ve already achieved so much, and now, with our two-year partnership extension, we’re only just getting started.”
“At New Balance, we believe that running is for everyone – regardless of speed, distance or experience,” said New Balance brand marketing manager, Polly Morris.
“The response to our partnership with Kic has been incredible and we’re excited to build on this momentum by continuing to break down barriers and create more inclusive opportunities for people to discover the joy of running, their way!”
“The Morning Runway is a great example of an integrated campaign with impact. The message behind the execution was an important one which was brought to life through earned, social and a five-day activation with our Archie’s takeover. Together, the campaign created a genuinely meaningful experience for the local running community intersecting with the culturally relevant moment,” said Alex Lefley, general manager at Mango Communications.
Looking ahead, the renewed partnership will kick off with a four-week KicrunKICRUN challenge launching on Monday 24 March. Empowering people to run or walk towards a total distance of 10, 20 or 40 km across the challenge period. It’s not about hitting your goal in one run, every step counts.
