Zalando Extends Berlin Marathon Sponsorship as It Builds Its Running Platform

The company says its World of Running hub now includes Race Lab for independent carbon-plate shoe evaluations, AI-assisted gear advice and direct Strava syncing. Zalando is also bringing its Run Like a Local campaign to flagship races across Europe.

The Berlin program adds a physical meeting point to those online discovery and product-selection tools. Sports as a Category Growth Strategy Zalando says more than 85% of its customers participate in sport each week, with running the leading activity.

The figure is a company-reported customer insight, not an independent measure of the broader market. In an earlier corporate strategy interview, Zalando identified sports as a category it wants to develop into a distinct shopping proposition within its European ecommerce platform.

The marathon sponsorship brings that strategy into an event where runners can encounter the retailer in person and then use its digital tools to research gear. Zalando also points to the first anniversary of its employee-led running club, which it says brings up to 100 colleagues together weekly.