Shorts: Puma, Sport England, Havas Play

PUMA has partnered with the Manchester Half Marathon to become its official sportswear provider in a multi-year deal.

Under the partnership, PUMA will serve as the official provider of technical apparel and footwear. The collaboration will ensure runners have access to PUMA’s products during their race journey.

The Manchester Half is a widely celebrated 13.1-mile challenge with over 16,500 participants taking part.

Bas van den Bemt, General Manager UK & Ireland for PUMA, said, “We are excited to expand our commitment in running with the Manchester Half; an event renowned for its dedication to unity, achievement, and the indomitable spirit of its participants. This collaboration is much more than a partnership; it’s a celebration of the enduring spirit of the running community and we’re delighted to be a part of it.”

Andrew Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Human Race, added, “We’re delighted to have PUMA as the Official Sportswear Partner of the Manchester Half. Together, we will be encouraging more than 16,500 people to be the best possible version of their own story and to create a unique journey in their half marathon experience. Whether they are a seasoned runner or taking on their first challenge, we are thrilled to have PUMA onboard to support each runner in achieving their personal goals.”

Natalie Daniels has been appointed to the Sport England Board by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Natalie joins the board on a three-year term and will be responsible for: setting and agreeing strategy and policy, overseeing the development and implementation of major projects approving all , grant awards which exceed £2 million, approving Sport England’s Annual Report and Financial Statements and overseeing performance management.

Chris Boardman, Chair of Sport England, said, “I’m delighted to welcome Natalie to Sport England. She brings a wealth of experience to our Board having dedicated her career to building sustainable and inclusive communities.

She will play an important role as we continue to deliver on the ambitions set out in our Uniting the Movement strategy. Natalie has been involved in sport all her life and I know she shares our ambition that everyone in England should be able to enjoy the benefits of being physically active.”

Havas Play UK has appointed Charlie Piggott as Head of New Business and Marketing.

Charlie was previously New Business and Marketing Director at creative agency Cake.

Cake joined forces with Havas Media Network UK’s content and partnerships division JUMP to form the new Havas Play UK agency brand in July.

In this role, Charlie will oversee the overall new business and marketing function for the recently launched agency.

Essex Cricket has announced partnership extensions with WOW Hydrate and Macintyre Hudson.

Sports hydration brand WOW Hydrate has signed a three-year extension and will continue to be the official hydration partner of the club, as it has been since 2019.

Queenie Porter, Managing Director of WOW Hydrate and Essex Cricket Board Member, said, “Our mission is to help athletes perform at their best and Essex Cricket is a perfect fit for this. We are so pleased to be renewing our partnership with the Club for a further three years. WOW Hydrate are passionate about helping our local community which we feel aligns very well with the Club’s own values and objectives.”

Daryl Townson, Commercial Manager at Essex Cricket Club, added, “We are delighted to continue working with WOW Hydrate as our Hydration partner here at Essex Cricket. Their products provide our players with the energy they need to perform at their best and we look forward to the next three years.”

Essex Cricket also announced a partnership extension with chartered accountants, Macintyre Hudson. The two brands have partnered since 2019 and will extend their current agreement by a further three years.

Cara Miller, Partner at MHA, expressed, “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Essex Cricket. Our firm is committed to supporting organisations that make a positive impact in their local communities and we very much look forward to supporting the Club further over the coming years.”

John Stephenson, Chief Executive Officer of Essex Cricket, commented, “MHA have been an invaluable partner to us over the years and we look forward to continuing our work with Cara and the team to support future success.”

Obstacle brands Tough Mudder and Spartan have announced nutrition brand Myprotein as their latest partner for the remainder of the 2023 and into the 2024 season.

As the official nutrition partner, Myprotein will play ‘a pivotal role in fuelling participants’ success on and off the challenging courses.’

Emily leRoux, Director of Global Partnerships, said, “We are excited to name Myprotein as our Official Nutrition Partner of Spartan UK and Tough Mudder UK. Myprotein is an innovative leader in sports nutrition and a lifestyle brand for everything Health and Wellness. We constantly seek to deliver world-class partnerships across our events portfolio, placing lifestyle inspiration and bringing to life the connection between fitness and nutrition for our community. With participants ranging from elite athletes to health conscious weekend warriors or newly motivated customers, we can’t wait to see them enjoy on-course and finish line nutrition of the highest quality.”

A Myprotein representative, added, “We are thrilled to be partnered with Tough Mudder and Spartan. They are huge events that are recognised globally, and we are excited to introduce the participants to all things Myprotein throughout a series of events. We love the empowering community.”