Celsius and Vuori Run Shakeout Events at NYC Marathon to Capture 50,000 Runners Pre-Race

Energy drink brand Celsius and athletic apparel brand Vuori used the New York City Marathon's 50th anniversary to run pre-race activation hubs that put product directly in the path of 50,000 registered runners and thousands more spectators, according to Modern Retail. Both brands hosted pop-ups and shakeout runs—short, easy training runs the day before a race—to engage athletes during the narrow window when they're fueling, shopping, and making brand decisions for race day.

Celsius opened a multi-day pop-up in Manhattan featuring product sampling, recovery stations, and meet-and-greets with sponsored athletes. Vuori hosted guided shakeout runs led by brand ambassadors, then directed participants to a retail activation where runners could buy race-day apparel. The brands treated the marathon weekend as a retail moment, not just a branding exercise, positioning themselves in the athlete's decision path 24 to 48 hours before the starting gun.

The mechanic works because runners show up to marathons in a narrow state of high intent. They need last-minute gear, fuel, and recovery tools, and they're surrounded by other runners validating purchase decisions in real time. A shakeout run creates permission to sample product in a context where the athlete can immediately assess utility—does this drink settle well, does this shirt chafe—before committing on race morning. The pop-up becomes a retail floor compressed into 72 hours, with social proof built in.

Vuori's guided run tactic also captures contact information and builds a local customer list. Runners who join a branded shakeout run are effectively opting into a relationship with the brand, and they're likely to return to the same gear for future races. Celsius gains trial and brand recall at the moment an athlete is deciding what to drink during the race, when they're most open to switching from their usual product if something works better.

For a small physical-product brand, the steal is to sponsor or host your own shakeout event at a local race. Contact race directors for 5K to half-marathon events in your region—most will sell you a $500 to $2,000 sponsorship package that includes logo placement and permission to set up a tent. Two days before the race, host a 2-mile shakeout run leaving from your tent, promoted through the race's email list and social channels. Offer free product samples at the finish and a 10% discount code valid through race day. Staff the tent on race morning with a simple checkout setup—Square reader, inventory in bins, signage with the discount code. Collect emails by offering a post-race recovery guide or training plan in exchange for sign-up. Cost for a local event: $500 sponsorship, $300 in product samples, $200 in signage and setup. You'll reach 200 to 500 runners who are in a buying state, and you'll capture 50 to 100 emails from people who actually used your product before opting in.

The broader pattern is that experiential marketing works when you intercept customers at the exact moment they need to solve the problem your product addresses. Runners at a marathon aren't browsing—they're in execute mode, and a brand that shows up with a useful pre-race experience earns the trial and the sale.