# Marathon Shoe Giveaways Strava and New Balance are Giving Away Shoes for the Back Half Challenge By Joey Haar | Published 2016-09-26 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/back-half-challenge References: [cnet](https://www.cnet.com/news/strava-partners-with-new-balance-to-give-away-free-sneakers-but-theres-a-26-2-mile-catch/) & [blog.strava](http://blog.strava.com/negative-split-positive-results-12386/) The [fall marathon season](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marathon-series) is beginning, and [Strava](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chipotle-x-strava-the-city-challenge), the popular run-mapping app, is partnering with [New Balance](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fresh-foam-x-1080-v13) to give away free shoes as part of the 'Back Half Challenge.' Anyone who finishes an accredited 42 kilometer race has the chance to win a pair of New Balances. While there's no draw involved (i.e. anyone who can finish a marathon can in theory win a pair of shoes,) the Back Half Challenge adds a sinister twist on top of even finishing a marathon. Entrants will need to not only finish, but finish with a negative split, which is when the second half of one's race is faster than the first half. That might sound simple, but think of it this way: runners need to run 21 kilometers, and then they need to speed up and run 21 kilometers again. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.6/10 - Popularity: 54% | Activity: 77% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Marathon Challenges:** Creating unique challenges within marathon races to engage and incentivize participants. - **Athletic Sponsorship:** Partnering with fitness apps or organizations to offer branded products as rewards for achievements. - **Negative Split Training:** Emphasizing the importance of improving speed in the second half of a race through specific training methods. ### Where This Applies - **Fitness Technology:** Developing and integrating fitness apps and tracking devices for personalized challenges and incentives. - **Athletic Footwear:** Partnering with fitness apps and competitions to promote brand awareness and loyalty through product giveaways. - **Sports Training:** Offering specialized training programs and plans that focus on improving race performance and achieving negative splits. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Marathon Season-Ready Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marathon-majors.md) - [Audio Brand-Sponsored Marathons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-york-city-marathon.md) - [Performance-Ready Running Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fresh-foam-x-1080-v13.md) - [Running Training Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/negative-split.md) - [Early-Morning Product Drops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/5am-high-drops.md) - [Anti-Scrolling Step Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marathumb-challenge.md) - [Co-Branded Marathon Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marathon-series.md) - [Second Chance Marathons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/not-done-yet-marathon-team.md) - [Multi-Faceted Virtual Competitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-10k-challenge.md)