BIG NEWS (and a funny story)

RUNLY NEWSLETTER #121
Thurs July 31st 2025

There is much to talk about today!

So why not start with some news:

Now, I don't know if it's just me.

But I started reading that and I was filled with dread.

Oh no, we didn't make it, I thought.

I was sure after all that, and then saying 'with that being said' it was surely going to be bad news 😂

Nevertheless, I am so excited to be back at the Melbourne Marathon again this year - our hometown race.

Last year was epic, on every front. The week, the race, the people and the vibe. It was absolutely immaculate.

This year, we actually applied to have a bigger space. But no luck.

Regardless, we'll try our best to make a splash with the space we've got!

Now, while we're on the topic of events, Sydney Marathon is creeping up so fast. Seriously.

In three weeks I'm going to be hitting the road.

I feel like I've done a lot of planning for the event, but also not enough. There's still so much to do.

I'm still waiting on things to arrive - stock, displays and other bits and pieces.

I need to organise things to be sent up on pallets, work out logistics, bump-in and bump-out.

But all of that aside. I am seriously so excited.

World. Marathon. Major.

It goes without saying, but if you're running Melbourne or Sydney, make sure you come say hello to your favourite running vest brand founder 😅

🚀 HAVING SOME FUN

A lot of marketing and promotional material you see in our industry is so serious. And I get it, it's about performance, it's about aesthetics etc etc.

But also, I reckon sometimes we all could lighten up a bit and have a bit of fun.

At the end of the day, 99.9% of us are not trying to be elite athletes. We're here to have fun & achieve some personal goals.

And one thing that is not fun, are the vest police.

I've sure you've seen them on social media somewhere.

It's often older dudes who have been running for a long time and well, perhaps stuck in their ways a little bit.

They'll comment on a post about running vests with something like "yOu DoNt neEd a VeSt fOr tHaT dIsTanCe. hArDeN uP!"

Frankly I find it extremely hilarious.

Imagine taking the time out of your day to comment something like that.

Anyway, I had a bit of a fun on my personal Instagram by posting this meme. It's completely fabricated. The picture of the person is a stock image supplied by Canva, and it's made to look like a real comment, but it's not:

I always knew this photo of me would come in handy one day. I couldn't be happier with its application!
 
The reaction I got from my followers was crazy. They absolutely loved it.
 
So I made a poll.
 
Should we run this as an ad for Runly?
 
The results were astounding. 86 people voted.

86 people voted for 'Absolutely run it as an ad'.
 
I'm not one to let the people down. So I did.
 
I kid you not. Within minutes. We had caught one in the comments. Hook, line & sinker:

It only took minutes for the vest police to come out!
 
I was so happy. Exactly what I wanted.
 
Then followed 25 intelligent comments as to why people love running with their vest - hydration, utility, running in warm climates, elevation, carry snacks, extra layers and medication.
 
And the funniest part, this exact ad has been our highest-performing ad all month 😅
 
They say every brand needs an enemy.
 
Maybe ours is the vest police.
 
But to be honest, I just think it's funny. And if we can bring some humour and light-hearted banter to the table, alongside our performance messaging (of course), then I'm all for that.
 
If you're having a run this weekend, enjoy it!
 
Run well,
Robbie