Inside New Balance’s Pie And Mash Takeover For The London Marathon Training Range

New Balance’s Fresh Foam 1080v15 and London Marathon Training Range campaign leans into London’s local running culture with a pie and mash shop takeover built around community, course geography, and training wear. The activation sits within New Balance’s London Marathon positioning, using a Central London run and a post-run gathering to frame the 1080v15 and marathon training apparel as part of everyday runner routines.

Running Through The Capital

New Balance used the launch of the Fresh Foam 1080v15 to stage a run through Central London that finished at M. Manze’s pie and mash shop in Bermondsey, turning a traditional spot into a temporary brand hub for runners. By linking the shoe and apparel story to a live community run rather than a standard retail event, the brand continues its focus on grassroots running culture around major races like the London Marathon.

The activation also highlighted the London Marathon Training Range for 2026, positioning the line as part of the buildup to race day rather than just race-week merchandise. That approach fits a wider industry move toward training ecosystems around marquee events, where footwear and apparel are framed as part of months-long preparation, not single-day performance.

Performance In A Real Setting

The Fresh Foam 1080v15 sits in New Balance’s core performance running lineup, with cushioning and comfort framed for daily miles and longer training runs. At this event, runners actually wore the shoe on the streets, not just on display. Runners were kitted out in the new footwear and the London Marathon Training Range during the group run and inside the shop, making the design read as lived in rather than staged.

Showcasing the training range within the pie and mash environment adds a visual contrast between heritage London interiors and technical running gear. It signals New Balance’s intent to anchor modern performance product in recognisable, local settings instead of abstract studio campaign imagery, matching a broader category shift toward authentic, in-community storytelling.

Taking Over Tower Bridge Road

The London activation was built around the launch of the Fresh Foam 1080v15 and the 2026 London Marathon Training Range, with the run routed through Central London and finishing at M. Manze’s on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey. The choice of location is deliberate: the shop sits roughly around the halfway point of the London Marathon course, tying the event to a section of the route many runners know well.

Within the shop, New Balance showcased the training collection alongside the footwear, turning the space into a short-term showroom and social hub. While the activation itself was limited to invited runners and the Run The Boroughs community, the product story is geared toward a wider base of London Marathon participants and city runners preparing for the race.

Community and Performance

Community is central to the concept, with New Balance working alongside Run The Boroughs, a London based run club that already connects local runners and neighbourhood routes. By supporting people who are actively training for the London Marathon, the brand links the 1080v15 and the training range directly to real performance needs: logging miles, building endurance, and staying consistent through the season.

From a performance angle, the Fresh Foam 1080v15 is an everyday workhorse for the training cycle, while the London Marathon Training Range is positioned to carry runners through variable weather and long sessions. The pie and mash setting, and the decision to host a proper run rather than a static event, show how performance running product is being woven into local community events as much as into race day performance.

For runners, this campaign reads as a nod to the city’s own culture as much as to the marathon itself, while for fans and collectors, it adds another layer to how big brands are using local institutions and run clubs to keep performance footwear relevant in a crowded market.