Believe In The Run Concludes GRIT, A Summer Distance Project Presented By Polar

September 28, 2020

BALTIMORE, Md., Sept. 28, 2020 – Believe in the Run, in partnership with Big Run Media, recently concluded GRIT, a summer distance project sponsored by Polar and ASICS. Over the course of the summer months (June 21 through Sept. 22), over 1300 registrants from all 50 states and 32 countries participated in the event. Additionally, the event raised over $11,000 for its charity partner, The DONNA Foundation.

“The success of virtual races is highly dependent on digital marketing. As experts in the field, we saw an opportunity to host our own event with our partners Polar and ASICS to give back to the running community,” said Thomas Neuberger, Co-Founder of Big Run Media and Believe in the Run. “The feedback we received from our participants was heartwarming, and the amount of user generated content was more than we ever expected.”

Runners chose a distance tier ranging from 25 to 300 miles and were challenged to complete their mileage within a 30-day timeframe. Upon completion, participants received a swag bundle featuring an ASICS distance-specific t-shirt, enamel pin, Believe in the Run-branded neck gaiter, and sticker/temporary tattoo pack.

Weekly prize giveaways were provided by title sponsors Polar and ASICS, as well as firefly Recovery. In total, nearly $10,000 of prizes were distributed. Grand prizes included Polar Grit X GPS Watches, ASICS shopping sprees, and a virtual meet and greet with legendary ASICS athlete Deena Kastor.

“When it comes to running, Polar is about as core to the sport as you can get,” said Tom Fowler, President of Polar USA. “That’s why we were delighted to join forces with Believe in the Run on the GRIT project. More than ever, it’s critical to give all runners of all abilities a platform to celebrate the connective tissue that binds us together. That the community raised over $11,000 for The DONNA Foundation is also fantastic. Supporting the vital work of foundations like theirs in a pandemic-distracted world is critical. Congrats and a big thank you to all the GRIT runners.”

Big Run media promoted the event through Believe in the Run’s website, social media channels, online advertising and influencers, generating a community of runners who shared their GRIT journeys with event-specific hashtags and custom social media graphics. Runners were able to log their miles on the RunSignUp registration platform, where results were posted in real time to distance-tier specific leaderboards.

Promotion of the event generated over 2.2 million impressions, 80,000 engagements and 250,000 video views on YouTube. Strategically placed ads across Facebook, Instagram and Google resulted in over a 500% ROI.

“While we sorely miss live events, GRIT gave runners a goal to focus and comradery over this unusual summer. The icing on the cake was being able to donate more than $11,000 to The DONNA Foundation,” said Neuberger.

About Believe in the Run

Believe in the Run is an independent run culture outlet based in Baltimore, Md. Founded in 2009, its goal has always been to provide honest, no-BS reviews with a culturally-relevant edge. Its mission is to bring a fresh look to running and provide their followers with sound advice from everyday runners just like them. https://www.believeintherun.com/

About Big Run Media

Big Run Media, LLC is a full-service branding, digital marketing, and creative design agency that focuses on active lifestyle brands. Their mission is simple: to develop your brand message into peak form. Much like an athlete preparing for an A race, Big Run Media tackles endurance event marketing and advertising challenges with strategic passion, planning, and know-how. Their work results in more athletes on your start line, and more devoted fans of your brand. To learn more about Big Run Media, visit: https://bigrunmedia.com/

About Polar

For over 40 years, Polar has been the innovator of sports technology, helping athletes and coaches achieve peak performance. Polar began with heart rate monitoring and has since expanded into multiple training solutions for elite athletes, coaches and active fitness enthusiasts. Polar remains the trusted performance partner due to our accuracy, reliability and superior experience. Polar’s award-winning product range includes pioneering sports wearables that work elegantly with Polar training apps and cloud services.

The Polar Grit X is Polar’s flagship outdoor multisport GPS watch. With its exceptional battery life, top-of-the-line heart rate monitoring, nutritional alerts, route guidance, and more, the Polar Grit X delivers exceptional performance for the outdoor athlete. Customized workouts and training plans are available through the Polar Flow web interface and sync to the watch through the Polar app. It’s everything you need to get your training down to a science.

About The DONNA Foundation 

The DONNA Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in June 2003 by three-time breast cancer survivor and visionary Donna Deegan. Through her own experience

surviving breast cancer three times, Donna has cast a vision to transform the experience for those living with breast cancer to one of love and support over fear and confusion. The DONNA Foundation delivers this vision through their DONNA CareLine, serving patients’ financial critical needs so families don’t have to choose between life saving medicine and groceries. They deliver this vision through groundbreaking breast cancer research funding at the Mayo Clinic so there is a hope for the future.