Just days before the Berlin Marathon, whispers began circulating about an A-list celebrity joining the race in secret. It wasn’t until race morning that Matt Taylor, founder of Tracksmith, received a call from a friend on the course confirming the exciting rumor.
The mysterious runner was sporting a mustache, sunglasses, and a headband, along with a nondescript bib number: 31261. His first name on the bib? Sted – a chosen pseudonym for the event.
Despite the attempt at disguise and a swift pace, it quickly became clear that “Sted Sarandos” was none other than pop superstar Harry Styles. From his friend’s vantage point, Taylor learned the best part: Styles was running in Tracksmith shorts.
For Tracksmith, a Boston-based running apparel company founded by Taylor in 2014 with a small PR team, this was a significant and unexpected moment of recognition. There’s no formal partnership with Styles, who boasts nearly 47 million Instagram followers, three number-one solo albums, and now, a sub-three-hour marathon under his belt.
Matt Taylor, Tracksmith’s chief executive, shared his enthusiasm: “What’s most exciting for us is his progress and fast running. It’s one thing to have someone wear your product; it’s another for them to be out there training hard and truly dedicated.”
Styles, 31, impressively finished the marathon in 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 13 seconds. This translates to an average pace of approximately 6:50 per mile, placing him among the top 5% of the 55,000 participants. Taylor regards breaking the three-hour mark as the “gold standard” for amateur runners, and it marked a new personal best for Styles, who previously ran the Tokyo Marathon in 3:24:07 in March.
“To shave 25 minutes off your time in six months – I mean, that takes some people years,” noted Massimo Alpian, Tracksmith’s director of communications.
Throughout the summer, Alpian would occasionally hear from friends in London who spotted Styles training in Tracksmith gear around Regent’s Park.
“I’d think, ‘Oh, that’s interesting,’ ” Alpian recalled. “He seemed to be running quite a bit. But I didn’t fully put it all together until last Sunday.”
In the fiercely competitive sports apparel market, Tracksmith maintains its position as a niche brand, standing alongside giants like Nike and Adidas. (Interestingly, Styles wore Nike sneakers in Berlin, like many other runners.) Tracksmith is known for backing emerging athletes; it was a significant event when their sponsored sprinter, Cravont Charleston, won the men’s 100-meter dash at the 2023 U.S. national championships.
As for celebrity endorsements? That’s typically not their strategy.
“If we connect with someone, we aim to build a genuine relationship,” Alpian explained. “We’re not like luxury brands with a dedicated celebrity and V.I.P. department.”
This highlights that Styles, in an era dominated by paid partnerships and orchestrated promotions, is simply a loyal Tracksmith customer. Taylor confirmed that Styles has visited the brand’s retail store on Chiltern Street in London at least twice, seemingly making purchases just like any other person. The sales team, Taylor added, treated him with the same respect as all customers.
Last weekend, Styles was just another dedicated marathoner, and perhaps that was precisely his intent. “It’s as if he prefers to keep his participation in these races quiet until after they’ve happened,” Alpian observed.
A representative for Mr. Styles did not provide a comment when contacted.
For the Berlin race, Styles chose a pair of Van Cortlandt shorts, which Taylor describes as Tracksmith’s “most classic, timeless performance running short.” Made from lightweight mesh fabric, these shorts feature a four-inch inseam and retail for $75. (Styles is quite comfortable with shorter shorts.)
He also wore the Van Cortlandt shorts during the Tokyo Marathon, but that appearance generated considerably less buzz, likely because his finish time, while good, didn’t create the same level of excitement within the running community.
Tracksmith, which has reported a 50% increase in sales for their Van Cortlandt shorts since the Berlin Marathon, tried to express their gratitude to Styles by sending him a direct message with an offer for a commemorative poster.
As of now, he has not replied to their message.