The National Running Show is an annual go-to event for many UK runners. Bringing together top athletes and the best industry shoe, apparel, accessory and nutrition brands, it’s a chance for the running community to gather and look forward to an exciting year of adventure, racing and personal achievements.

I made the trip to the N.E.C in Birmingham for the 2020 show, which took place between 30-31st January. I’d planned to meet a select number of core running and triathlon media on the Saturday, while also hoping to take in some of what was on offer myself. As a runner, it’s always nice to soak up the atmosphere at these events.

While it was good to bump into a few friendly faces at the show, I was keen to book in time with journalists beforehand. The craziness of the day definitely made me realise how important this always is! It’s always a bit tricky when there’s a lot going on, but I managed to have some great catch ups with journalists nonetheless.

After speaking with the friendly people from 220 Triathlon, Women’s Running, Athletics Weekly and The Running Channel, I then made sure that I checked in on how our clients On and Zone3 were doing. Sometimes this can be hard if the position of a stand is out the way or hidden, but both were occupying great spots this year.

On’s stand looked brilliant; the eye-catching Cloudflow shoe visual really stood out and their space was bigger than previous years. Every time I walked by, they were swamped with keen runners looking to try things on. Similarly, Zone3 appeared really busy – their stand was in a good spot next to On, and the staff were also kept busy whenever I could take a look!

The buzz surrounding this kind of event is always special. The running community, in this instance, came out in full force to experience the Saturday or Sunday programme. There were numerous stages that hosted a huge variety of running-related talks and interviews, and some brands did really well to encourage interaction with runners.

From an Aspire perspective, it’s always important to attend key industry events. It helps us to keep updated on new brands, topical trends and industry news, but it also serves as a good opportunity to network. While I met with media in the day, Vikki attended (and had a great time) at the evening networking event with the Women’s Running team.

Thanks to everyone who we both met at various points on the Saturday. And, in theme with the show itself, have a happy year of running!

By Josh Puttock, Junior Account Manager