The intersection of running and fashion during recent marathons – as evident on the graffiti-adorned streets of Berlin as on the storied boroughs of New York – highlights how these events are globally reshaping runners’ identities and relationships with sport and style.

What Running Wear Says About Society

Fashion reflects the cultural entities that resonate, inspire, and shape collective identities. It captures the values and creative expressions of a particular time and place.

The synonymous relationship between fashion and cultural values is significant when noticing sleek performance gear and brand community activities dominating recent marathons. It suggests not just a new reason to run but also a new way of socialising and building community in today’s society.

As the cost of alcohol rises and awareness of its physical and mental effects grows, opportunities for many to express identity and feel a sense of belonging through dress in traditional social venues like pubs, bars, and nightclubs are diminishing.

Today, running - formerly a painful solitary punishment for physical fitness - is an opportunity for community and shared pursuit in a society that’s becoming more health-conscious, yet increasingly isolated. The popularisation of run clubs and the changing attitudes around events such as marathons provide a cost and health-effective gateway for connection with others of similar ages and values It creates the feeling that running is far more than a physical pursuit of numbers on a screen or times achieved during race days - but an inclusive mechanism for fulfilling social and identity needs. 

Until recently, there have been limited opportunities for expressing this new identity through running attire. Brands created running attire with the sole intention of performance, with little consideration of its cultural connotations. But, as streetwear brands, along with an endless supply of fresh running-fashion-specific start-up brands, tailor their products to new cultural attitudes, race days are becoming significantly more expressive. 

The Fusion of Running Wear and Streetwear

The boom of running attire that communicates attitudes reflective of culture and collective identities isn't too dissimilar from streetwear, itself. The subcultural clothing style is a cultural emblem for like - minded individuals and groups to identify, resonate, and connect.

Streetwear, similarly to the phenomena of run groups and marathons, creates a space where connection, recognition, and celebration of achievement becomes ever-more accessible. Because of this, it is hardly surprising to see some of the world’s biggest streetwear brands combining fashion and culture with functionality and performance at recent marathons. Streetwear, designer, and running collaborations were omnipresent at these events. Runners, much like those immersed in streetwear subcultures, seek connection to something deeper than the race itself - a shared culture and identity. The fusion of traditional running attire with streetwear at such events highlights the evolving cultural and social importance marathons have on the individual. They’ve become more than athletic challenges; they’re spaces where personal identity and collective belonging crossover, and health-focused fashion serves as an expression of shared pursuit and interest.

Yet, running apparel–no longer confined to the spotlight of occasional race day, partly due to the plethora of running - streetwear collaborations and exciting start-up brands desirable expressing the sport- has emerged as a fashionable style to deploy in everyday life. 

Today, running is cool - even for non-runners. Streetwear - running collaborations preserve streetwear’s desirable connotations - rebellion, youth culture, and identity - while communicating modern lifestyle values focused on health, community, and belonging. The sport’s social media presence is vibrant and colourful, often showcasing running products alongside streetwear aesthetics in non-athletic settings. This emphasises that running isn’t solely for serious participants; it’s part of a broader lifestyle. Meanwhile, running-focused campaigns feature urban imagery - highlighting top-of-the-range gear, scenic routes, and international metropolitan backdrops. This portrayal of running conveys that experience extends beyond the race, emphasising travel, cultural exchange, and the overall journey. For runners to participate in an overseas marathon it means more, both culturally and socially, than physical pursuit. It’s also about friendship, travel, and community expressed through contemporary fashion. 

Is Running the Future of Streetwear?

Societal beliefs about how and when we socialise - and where we seek community and shared identity - are evolving.

Just as streetwear emerged as a cultural emblem, helping like-minded individuals connect at festivals, parties, and other traditional social settings, running wear is now following a similar trend. Modern social gatherings like run clubs, marathons, and other sporting events have become new spaces for self-expression and community building. As society becomes more health-conscious, running clubs, races, and marathons are the new cost-effective alternative to nightclubs. They are social events where friendships, relationships, and subcultures are nurtured.

The evolutionary fashion displays at the recent marathons spoke to the extent to which this is true. Likewise, the surplus of fashion-orientated running brands, all with their unique target audience in mind, popping up online weekly shows the trend isn't dying down anytime soon, or serving a limited style or identity. Running brands all communicate slightly different messages, with varying emphasis on performance, fashion, and feeling. As the sport and culture around it continues to grow, it’s likely we’ll see increasingly definable running-fashion styles.

Article by Euan Walsh @euwalsh99_