Speed needs a stage. For the launch of the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4, cip marketing and RunningDirect created Race to adizero - an elimination-style brand event that put performance and storytelling on a custom-built indoor track inside the stunning Werkspoorkathedraalin Utrecht.

The Challenge

How do you launch a high-performance running shoe in a way that goes beyond product specs? adidas needed an experience that let the shoe speak for itself - one that combined the thrill of real competition with compelling brand storytelling, for an audience of runners who know the difference.

Our Approach

• Concept development and full event production for an elimination-style race format
• Selection of 120 elite runners based on their 5K personal bests
• Custom-built indoor track inside the iconic Werkspoorkathedraal, Utrecht
• Intense knockout rounds keeping energy high for competitors and spectators throughout
• End-to-end event management and hospitality for athletes, partners and media

The Results

• A sell-out brand event that made the Adizero Adios Pro 4 impossible to forget
• 120 elite runners as brand advocates - each one selected for performance credibility
• High audience engagement through live competition and real athletic storytelling
• Strong media and social reach amplifying the shoe launch beyond the venue