American running brand Brooks signed NFL wide receiver Cooper Kupp, WNBA forward Maddy Westbeld, and Premier League footballer Oscar Bobb to its global athlete ambassador roster, positioning running as a foundational element across three distinct sports. Each athlete will feature in Brooks' storytelling and content campaigns, adding their personal style to upcoming brand products.
The signings build on Brooks' existing sports partnerships, including its role as the Official Off-Ice Performance Partner for the Seattle Kraken and the Official Running Partner for the Seattle Seahawks, and its global sponsorship of Cambridge United Football Club. The expansion comes as Brooks reported 14% growth in the first half of 2026, driven by international expansion and continued demand for its performance footwear.
Brooks' roster expansion indicates that brands focused on running are expanding and emerging as one of the most popular sectors in footwear and sports.
Image Credit: Brooks Running
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Cross-sport Endorsements
- Performance brands are using athletes from multiple disciplines to broaden relevance and frame core products as essential training tools beyond their original sport.
- Running-as-foundation Positioning
- Running is being recast as a universal athletic baseline, creating space for footwear and apparel labels to serve broader performance routines across team and individual sports.
- Athlete-led Product Storytelling
- Personalized content from high-profile athletes is making product campaigns feel more lifestyle-driven, blending elite credibility with accessible everyday training narratives.
Sectors Adopting This
- Performance Footwear
- Specialized running shoes are moving into adjacent sports markets as brands translate technical credibility into cross-category consumer demand.
- Sports Marketing
- Ambassador rosters spanning leagues and geographies are reshaping sponsorship strategies around cultural reach rather than single-sport visibility.
- Athletic Apparel
- Training apparel connected to multi-sport athlete identities is gaining value as consumers seek versatile performance products linked to professional routines.
