Nike Goes Dark, Peloton x Hilton + Community Launch, Global Garmin Outage, Rapha shaves time, and more…

👋 Good morning and happy Friday. I’m Scott and feel free to reach me here. If you’re a brand, or agency, throw me on your media list. I want to hear about new products, brand news, and happenings.

This is the Front Pack Newsletter, your weekly source for all things endurance and business. We feed you the most important things happening in the world of health & wellness, cycling, triathlon, and running.

Join our app to stay motivated, meet athletes near you, coordinate workouts, and highlight your journey to greatness.

Not diving into a long diatribe today but will just leave you with this.

“When you hit the wrong note. It’s the next note that matters the most.” – Miles Davis.

As always. Stay moving…✌️

SB

The Biz

Cycling Rights Skyrocket: Bad news for anyone in Ireland or the UK looking to watch cycling coverage. Eurosport is dead and beginning February 28th, the TNT Sports subscription is going up from £6.99 to £30.99 a month, a 443% increase. If not bad enough, Warner Bros. Discovery (the devil behind this whole crime) have confirmed that after buying the exclusive UK rights to broadcast the Tour de France from 2026, there will be no free-to-air live coverage. Read more…

Nike Goes Dark: As part of its ongoing mission to invite more women into sport, Nike is announcing the After Dark Tour, an all new Women’s Race Series that will invite women to race the night away with 10Ks and half marathons in six major cities: Sydney, Shanghai, Seoul, Mumbai, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Read more…

Peloton x Hilton: While I can’t get Cody Rigsby or Adrien Williams (my wife swoons) directly into your hotel room, maybe this is the next best thing. According to Hilton, 90% of their guests strive to maintain their wellness and fitness routines while traveling. Because of that, the hotel and Peloton are strengthening their already strong relationship and bringing on-demand fitness content to their TVs. So when that hotel gym doesnt open until 6 and you need to get something in at 4 a.m., with the click of a button, jump into equipment-free fitness categories, including yoga, strength, barre, cardio, stretching, and Pilates. Read more…

Global Garmin Outage: Remember the XBOX red circle of death when you were growing up. This week, Garmin users faced their own worldwide crisis, bricked devices that wont load past the Blue Triangle start screen. As of Wednesday PM, the company has published a fix but it’s not a one size fits all solution. You’ll need a Windows or Mac PC, your affected device, your Garmin Connect credentials and a charging cable. If affected, head to the following to start your fix today. Read more…

PTO News & Notes: If IRONMAN seems quiet, the PTO is quite the opposite. Though only a 4 years old, the upstart continues to evolve each and every year, making a slew of announcements this past week. Yes, they’re still resistant to Age Group Racing, but unlike IRONMAN, they’ll host a pro race in Canada (Vancouver) for 2025. In total, there will be 8 races in 2025 including Singapore, San Francisco, Dubai, France, London, and a final “championship” race in Qatar. Each event has a prize purse of $250K. Read more…

Rapha Drops All-New Pro Team Roadsuit: The company promises to shave time off your next race. The key? It’s all in the materials. They have been in close development with their in-house design Atelier and their EF pro athletes, that enable them to iteratively refine fabrics and fit to create the “most versatile suit” in the pro peloton. The cost though. A whopping $420. Read more…

Peloton Launches Community: With 6 million members, the company launched community groups called “public teams” on the platform this week, allowing up to 50,000 people to organize to chase their fitness goals and share virtual high fives together. Seems cool if you live and workout on the platform. How it works: Team stats accumulate throughout the week and reset every Monday. Primary team administrators can pick which metric to track—total time worked out, days worked out, number of workouts, and distance—through team settings. Read more…

Meanwhile

Other happenings in the world of endurance.

Dauwalter Ditching 100 Milers?: The reigning queen of Ultra’s, who took the top podium spot at the Hardrock 100, Transgrancanaria, Mt Fuji 100 and Nice Cote d’Azur by UTMB in 2024, announced she’s planning her first 250-mile race – the Cocodona 250. As to why, she simple said, “Something about those multi day events keeps me really intrigued.” Read more…

Faulkner Sets Sights on Tour de France Femmes: The surprise Olympic gold medalist has had a dizzying few months and ‘If there’s people who are expecting me to come out with a bang, they might be disappointed,’ says Faulkner of her 2025 debut. The new star just couldn’t help herself or say, no. Good in-depth article. Read more…

Speedo drops all new Vanquisher: The #1 selling racing goggles just got an improvement. Perfect for swimmers and triathletes, the latest model delivers a remarkable 14% increase in field of view while the Ocular 360 mirror lenses ensure unmatched water visibility, reducing brightness and glare with clarity in every stroke, supported by an anti-fog coating. Available today, you can grab them for $25. Comparable to other goggles on the market. Read more…

Replace Your Watch Band: New research finds that 15 out of 22 common sports watch bands can contain high levels of so-called “forever chemicals” that can be absorbed through the skin. Whether you believe the CDC or not, forever chemicals are linked to immune system impairment which can include altered immune and thyroid function, liver disease, lipid and insulin dysregulation, kidney disease, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes, and cancer. Do the right thing and switch to affordable silicone watch bands like Garmin, Apple, and Coros use. Read more…

A Beginner’s Guide to Becoming a Person Who Runs: A lifelong habit with fitness benefits awaits—just get a few things in order first. Read more…

Training Tips

Because training is life.

80/20 Training – What the hell is it?: Whether you’re a seasoned triathlete or just starting out, there’s something for everyone in this episode.

Why Strength AND Endurance Training are Key to Unlocking Optimal Health: A break down of the age-old debate. What is better for you Strength Training or Endurance Training?

Rewatchables

Content for long training days inside or just everyday life.

MAAH DAAH HEY – TOGETHER: A film about testing yourself with a friend. But is the outcome always what you want?

Made of Grit | An Appalachian Trail Film: Made of Grit is a short film about more than 30 Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, just before they summited Mt. Katahdin, marking the end of their adventures.