Shorts: Virgin Active, Hull City, Gemba

The Royal Parks Half Marathon has partnered with Virgin Active, naming the global health and wellness brand as the official training partner for this year’s race.

Virgin Active, which has 238 health clubs across six different territories, will be present on race day with a dedicated wellness and recovery zone, offering all participants access to support both before and after the race. 

Participants can also access free Virgin Active training, as well as nutrition webinars and workshops to optimise their preparation. Ahead of race day, they can also enjoy a free guest pass to experience the club.

The Royal Parks Half Marathon, which achieved a record number of ballot entrants this year, will see 16,000 runners guided through four of London’s stunning Royal Parks: Hyde Park, The Green Park, St. James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.

Liz Tack, Head of Royal Parks Half Marathon, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Virgin Active as our Official Training Partner for this year’s Royal Parks Half Marathon. We know how important training and recovery is to all our runners and so we’re really happy to have the support of an industry-leading brand that will make a real difference in ensuring our runners feel prepared to take on the race”. 

EFL Championship football club Hull City has partnered with formal menswear company Suit Direct.

The high street retailer will supply suits for senior members of club staff to be worn on home matchdays and at official club events and its branding will be visible across the MKM Stadium on the big screens and LED advertising boards.

Joe Clutterbrook, Chief Operating Officer, said, “We are delighted to partner with Suit Direct and excited to develop our relationship while showcasing their top-quality menswear.

“Maintaining high professional standards is important and we look forward to seeing our staff looking smart in their new suits with the Hull City crest proudly embroidered on their chests.”

Sport and entertainment agency Gemba has announced a new structure to its senior team.

Rob Mills will assume the position of Global CEO, with Andrew Condon and Claire Kelly leading the Asia Pacific and European & Middle East regions, respectively.

The restructure has been announced to coincide with an increased investment in the agency’s sponsorship services, which includes hiring of additional staff and the ‘development of new fan focused data tools to enhance the sophistication of sponsorship.’

The British Racing School has announced Her Majesty The Queen as its Royal Patron.

Andrew Braithwaite, Chief Executive of the British Racing School, said, “We are honoured that Her Majesty has accepted our invitation to become Patron of the British Racing School. The Queen is hugely committed to supporting British racing and to ensuring that young people have the opportunity to experience the life-changing benefits of working with and riding horses, and are able to access the brilliant careers within racing. We are incredibly lucky and proud to have Her Majesty’s support.”

Her Majesty has a long association with British Horseracing and equestrianism and visited the British Racing School as part of its 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2023. The school was officially opened by His Majesty The King, then as HRH The Prince of Wales, in 1983.

Her Majesty’s other racing-related patronages include The Jockey Club, with His Majesty The King; the National Horseracing Museum, The National Stud, The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and York Racecourse.

Wahoo has extended its partnership with SHIFT Active Media, tasking the agency with leading its paid search strategy and execution.

SHIFT has already been working with Wahoo on paid media since June 2024 and will now expand its role leveraging its Google Premier Partner status. The partnership aims to drive awareness and growth for Wahoo’s product lineup.

Bruce Sandell, Vice President of Business Development & Public Relationships at Wahoo Fitness, said, “We are delighted to extend our relationship with SHIFT as our partnership has delivered great results to date. SHIFT has shown an instinctive and deep understanding of our business, audiences and brand. They have successfully integrated with us – so well, that they already feel part of our team. They are all Wahooligans, like us!”