I love running in the summer on Cape Cod, where most runs include a mid-run dip in a pond or a post-run soak in the ocean. But if the waves are good, I also enjoy adding a surf to my morning routine. Most people don’t think of runners and surfers as kindred spirits, but both share a deep connection to mother nature and profess a spirituality derived from consistency. Especially those who run or surf first thing in the morning. That’s why we took a detour this year with our annual Run Cannonball Run collection, teaming up with African surf brand Mami Wata to launch Run Surf Run. The line features the same swim-friendly running shorts and quick-drying tops, but with graphics inspired by the connection between running and surfing. But a A highlight for me is the Last One, Last Last One film we shot in Cape Town with the Mami Wata team.

The U.S. Olympic Trials gave us the opportunity to celebrate the Amateur Spirit, an aspect of running that embodies the relentless hours of work and miles that we put into the sport. For every athlete at the Trials earning a professional salary, there are a dozen or more doing it simply for the love. It’s what makes the Trials so intriguing. In our latest film featuring Meredith Rizzo, a teammate of Marisa Howard, we reflect on this spirit and the mindset required long before you get to the starting line.

There’s no better global sporting event than the Olympic Games (sorry football fans). Every four years, track & field gets put on a pedestal. This is both a blessing and curse for athletics, but who doesn’t love the whole-world-is-watching, thrill-of-victory, agony-of-defeat moments that come to define each Games. It’s been 100 years since Paris hosted the sporting world and I’m beyond excited to be there. (Side note: Paris 1924 is also the last year cross country was in the Olympics, and Earl Johnson, from my hometown of Pittsburgh, won bronze. Earl was the first Black American to win a distance medal at the Games). From July 12th to August 15th, we’ll be popping up at Merci, a renowned Parisian brand, with a limited edition collection inspired by the pageantry of the Games. If you’re in town, come visit us at 111 Bd Beaumarchais.

Time means different things to different people. For runners, it means everything. The Tracksmith Timepiece was crafted with intention – born from our collaboration with Merci and curated by Wind Vintage. It’s a celebration of values that are shared amongst watchmaking and athletics – a nod to the intricacy, precision, and excellence required by both worlds. Designed with refinement, it features a tan calfskin leather band and a red second hand against a navy dial with Breguet numerals. Powered by a Sellita SW 210 movement, responsible for the accuracy and reliability of timekeeping through manual handwinding. Laced with tradition down to the wheels, the piece is unmistakably Tracksmith. Available from the 12th of July at our Merci pop-up in Paris and online from the 15th.

Ladies and Gentlemen . . .
Last newsletter I wrote about three new track events, including Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track league. Since then, they’ve announced two athletes who have committed to the league: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Josh Kerr. Those are certainly two of our sport’s biggest stars, and certainly there are more announcements coming. But what interests me the most is how the competition will be presented. Having watched half of the U.S. Olympic Trials on TV and half in person at Hayward Field, it’s clear the opportunity to create excitement and interest for new fans lies in the presentation. The production value of the television broadcast needs to be elevated substantially, while the in-person atmosphere needs more energy. It requires a conductor who knows how to entertain, build suspense, and create moments and memories that reach beyond the diehard fans.

Breaking Barriers
The race of the meet for me was the women’s 1500m. If you recall, I was rooting for the trio from New Balance Boston - Elle St. Pierre, Emily Mackay and Heather MacLean. But I never would have predicted that the top 8 women would all run PRs and break 4:00. Elle took the race out fast (61 seconds for the first 400!) and never really let up. But Nikki Hiltz ran a perfect race to best teammates and training partners St. Pierre and Mackay. It was one for the ages. But there was more to this race than the top three. I particularly liked Cory McGee’s perspective after finally breaking 4:00 for the first time (by 3 seconds), but still finishing fifth.

Sprint to Survive
I’m 3 episodes into the new Netflix docuseries, Sprint, and I’m not sure what to make of it. On the one hand, it’s great to see track & field getting this level of production and distribution. On the other hand, I don’t find it as engaging as Drive to Survive or Break Point, two other films produced by Box to Box Productions. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t know as much about F1 or tennis heading into those series, so I was learning while also being entertained. Regardless, it’s a positive for track & field. Combined with the news that viewership of the US Olympic Trials on NBC and Peacock was up 38% over the last Trials, it’s clear athletics has some momentum to build from.

10 Years Ago
We launched Tracksmith 10 years ago, turning the website on in the early hours of July 23, 2014. I still remember the first photo shoot. It wasn’t what we did, but how we did it - documenting real runners (not models) doing real training - that created the blueprint for our visual storytelling. Integral to that process was our photographer, Emily Maye, who has an innate ability to capture authentic moments with athletes. Next weekend we head up north for our Fall shoot and, in a nod to consistency, Emily will be shooting Ruben Sanca (and a handful of other athletes). Ruben was on that first photo shoot in 2014. This is one of my favorite photos: Ruben had been running 100-mile weeks and after a long run on Cape Cod, Emily found him sleeping on the porch. We didn’t go into the weekend with a shot list that included “sleeping athlete” - we went in prepared to document whatever transpired.