The 56 Minute Half Marathon

ASICS crushes, inside the mind of endurance athletes, Kim to save Nike, Lance v. Jan, Parks Get Gutted, Hawks wins, Drama at Scott, and more…

👋 Good morning and happy Friday. I’m Scott and feel free to reach me here.

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.

If you’re a brand, or agency, throw me on your media list. I want to hear about new products, brand news, and happenings.

As always. Stay moving…✌️

The Biz

ASICS Sees Record Sales in FY2024: According to the Japanese sportswear company, net sales in North America increased 17.8 percent to 135.0 billion yen (approximately $891.8 million) from 114.6 billion yen ($756.9 million) in fiscal 2023. Asics noted the increases were attributed to significant sales growth for run specialty stores, reduction of the sales volume of entry models, improvement in profitability of retail and the sales growth of e-commerce. In terms of categories, ASICS saw substantial progress from SportStyle and Onitsuka Tiger, both of which act as the company’s “second pillar of business” after Performance Running. Read more…

Oura Introduces Fertile Window Feature: The Fertile Window feature provides individuals with deeper insights into their fertility through continuous physiological tracking. A study conducted by Oura found that the Oura Ring significantly outperformed the traditional calendar method in predicting ovulation, particularly for those with irregular cycles. The feature has been validated by a study published in Journal of Medical Internet Research, showing that it can detect 96.4% of ovulations with an average error of just ±1.26 days, more accurate than many traditional methods, especially for those with irregular cycles. Read more…

Celsius stock Drops, Acquires Alani Nutrition: The No. 3 energy drink brand in the U.S. in 2024 with an 11.8% market share behind Redbull and Monster, respectively saw its stock spike early Friday after the energy drink maker reported an 18% decline in earnings as revenue fell 4% to $332.2 million. The company also announced a deal to acquire competitor Alani Nutrition for a $1.8 billion in a cash-and-stock deal. Alani, a female-focused energy drink and wellness product firm, ranked 4th in terms of energy drink market share in 2024 with a 3.6% share, according to Celsius. Read more…

Nike Teams with Kim to Kick It’s Slump: Its no secret the Nike stock has been reeling since 2021 and has lost a quarter of its value in the last year. So who to better kick a skid than Kim Kardashian. Nike is partnering with Kardashian for a new brand called “NikeSkims,” the company and fashion mogul jointly announced. The collection, which is based on her popular shapewear line, “will disrupt the global fitness and activewear industry with best-in-class innovation in service of all women athletes,” according to a press release. The new collection is a first for Nike, which hasn’t partnered with an outside company before to create a new brand, rather relying on acquisitions or tapping popular athletes (i.e. Michael Jordan) for apparel. Financial terms wasn’t revealed. Read more…

Internal Chaos at Scott Sports Hits Tribunal: A “power struggle” at Scott Sports — that last year escalated to the point of police being called to the company’s headquarters amid a “dispute between managers” — may have been resolved. An arbitration tribunal for the International Chamber of Commerce ruling that former CEO Beat Zaugg must cede his 47 per cent stake in the company to its majority shareholder, Youngone Corporation, the Korean company which bought 50.1 per cent of Scott Sports in 2015. In April, it was Zaugg, who has served as Scott Sports’ CEO since 1998, claiming he was still in charge of the American bicycle and sportswear company despite its parent company’s decision to replace him to “refresh” the business. Read more…

Meanwhile

Other happenings in the world of endurance.

The 56 minute Half Marathon: Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda ran with a vengeance in Barcelona on last Sunday — masterfully reclaiming the half marathon world record after the title was taken from him last year. At only, 24 y/o Kiplimo shattered the previous half marathon record of 57:30 set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha last year in Valencia. To do so, Kiplimo was averaging about 13.86 miles per hour, or a mile every 4 minutes and 20 seconds. Read more…

Hawks Captures 52K Win: At the Tarawera Ultra Trail by UTMB, “UltraRunning Magazine” (North American) Ultrarunner of the Year Hayden Hawks jumpstarted his 2025 year with a quick 3:18 first-place finish. Read more…

Three Smart Trainers Worth Your Time: One is obvious but the other two are not. From best trainer on a budget, to mid-tier, to overall, here are the recommended choices. Read more…

Lance vs. Jan: The 2025 edition will pin the two heated rivals against each other for a final time. And its all happening at the “Jan Ullrich Cycling Festival,” scheduled for May 17th and 18th in Bad Dürrheim, Baden-Württemberg. Both men, now in their 50s, are eternally connected by their fierce competition and their controversial histories within the sport, cheating. But Lance still grabs headlines so let the freak show happen. Read more…

Peace of Mind Shipping: Cyclists worldwide have come to trust the bicycle shipping service that Bikeflights provides. In addition to the actual shipping, we’ve also come to know Bikeflights for their shipping boxes. These are no ordinary bike boxes though, and thanks to some new features, Bikeflights is updating its most popular box. Meet the new and improved Bikeflights Bike Box Large (BBL). Read more…

The best bike for your money?: It is the one you build. That’s right, you can save thousands and own every element if you custom build your next rig. For example, if you want a full-Dura Ace Di2 or SRAM Red AXS, purchase it independently versus buying it on a completed brand new bike. Read more…

The Ultra-Endurance Journey — Researching the Athlete Mindset: If you read nothing else this issue, read this look into the mind of the endurance athlete. It’s a fascinating and easy read. As a 3-part series, it explores the complex interplay between UE passion, motivation, athletic identity, and happiness. It dives into mental health and how UE sports affect our relationships too. So which are you – a harmonious or obsessed athlete? Happy or always looking for the next fix? For me, I started obsessed but have tried to become harmonious. Be happy with what work you put in but understand you do not always control the situation. Let things go. Read more…

Park Services Gutted: Park workers are being laid off en mass, with 3,475 layoffs at the U.S. Forest Service and another 1,000 at the National Park Service. I love our National Parks and one thing has always stuck out, every time I go, there never feels like enough people working there. I rarely see anyone in authority at national parks. So with lay offs happening in the thousands, will our parks have reduced hours or will some even be open at all? A lot to monitor but this is a sad situation. Read more…

Hawaii Family Sues USA Swimming, Local Pool, and Swim Club Over Daughter’s Drowning: Not sure how this happens but to host a swim meet and to have no lifeguards, and an active emergency plan is inexcusable. Read more…

These Foods May Help Reduce Your Risk of Cognitive Decline: New data published in Nutrients suggests that some antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods, called polyphenols, may help protect the brain and improve its function. Those options include almonds, mangos, blueberries, strawberries, apples and olive oil, among others. Read more…

Training Tips

Because training is life.

Top 3 Strength Exercises for Cyclists (No Gym Needed): These 3 simple exercises will transform you into a stronger, more stable, and more powerful cyclist —no gym required!

Rewatchables

Content for long training days inside or just everyday life.

The Great Southern Country: Last September, Lachlan set a new around Australia Record, riding 14,200-kilometers around his home country in just 30 days, nine hours, and 59 minutes. That’s more than 460 kilometers per day, every day, for a month. Lachy’s brother Gus was there with him for the ride, filming all of his pre-dawn starts, the lonely time trials down outback highways, headwinds, tailwinds, gas station meals, and all of the people who Lachlan met along the way.