Under Armour to outfit mud event
US sports brand Under Armour has signed a two-year partnership with Tough Mudder, a series of endurance running events in which participants navigate obstacles and run through mud. The deal makes Under Armour the “official outfitter” of the Tough Mudder circuit. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We think Tough Mudder is going to become the premier endurance competition in the US,” said Matt Mirchin, senior vice president of global sports marketing for Under Armour.
Founded in autumn 2009 by a Harvard MBA student, Tough Mudder sends runners on a 12-mile course that features freezing water, barbed wire, a fire pit and live electric wires, among other obstacles. Last year, the series attracted approximately 150,000 participants. For 2012, the series has grown to 32 events, including stops in Squaw Valley, California.Sydney, Australia and Tokyo.
“One of the most frequent questions we get asked is, ‘What should I wear?’” said Alex Patterson, Tough Mudder’s chief marketing officer. “Under Armour is synonymous with being hard-core and tough, and that’s what we think Tough Mudder is in the events space.”
Under Armour has an endorsement deal with two-time Ironman triathlon champion Chris McCormack, but the Tough Mudder deal is its first event sponsorship in endurance racing. Starting with the January 14-15 Tough Mudder event in Arizona, Under Armour will receive signage, a branded obstacle (which has yet to be designed) and marketing space in the finish-line “party zone.” It also will receive naming rights for the May 12-13 Tough Mudder event to be held near London as well as an event in Maryland that will occur in the fall.
