Athletics

Will Smith and Richard Branson have announced a new partnership between their respective JUST Goods and Virgin Sport brands to replace all single-use plastic bottles at the finish line with JUST Water cartons during Sunday’s ASICS London 10K.

The eco-friendly initiative will also result in an additional 40,000 single-use plastic bottles being removed from the route.

Some 500,000 single-use plastic bottles will be removed from all Virgin Sport events in 2019, including the Hackney Half Marathon and the Oxford Half Marathon.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has rebranded itself as World Athletics and revealed a new logo to reflect its name change.

The governing body said that the change is in line with its restructuring and governance reform agenda in recent years to represent a “modern, more creative and positive face” for athletics.

The IAAF Council added that the new brand makes the sport more accessible to a broader audience and allows the body to clearly communicate its mission as the "leader of athletics".

ASICS has released a new documentary tracking the achievement of 10 of its FrontRunner members in completing the equivalent of 10 marathons in 10 days.

The 450km cross-channel journey, which started at the ASICS Regent Street store in London and ended at the Paris Marathon, is documented in the short film launched to mark Global Running Day.

Shock Absorber has been unveiled as the sports bra partner of women’s running community This Mum Runs.

As an official supporter of This Mum Runs, Shock Absorber will educate the community about the importance of wearing the correct sports bras while running. Product launches and news will be shared across This Mum Runs’ digital channels as part of the agreement.

This Mum Runs has 50,000 members and organises hundreds of free weekly runs led by Run Angels, specially-trained local volunteers who plan run routes and ensure members feel welcome and safe.

Japanese sportswear manufacturer ASICS has opened its new EMEA headquarters in Greater Amsterdam, while it has also released its 2018 Sustainability Report detailing its progress towards medium and long-term targets.

The company’s new headquarters are designed to reflect its ‘Sound Mind in a Sound Body’ philosophy and support the physical and mental well-being of its employees.

It is hoped the use of space, light and natural materials, as well as fitness and well-being facilities, will encourage movement and reduce stress at the new office.

UK chemicals firm INEOS is stepping up its investment in sport by backing Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge in his latest attempt to run the world's first sub-two-hour marathon.

The INEOS 1:59 Challenge will take place in late September or early October, with a venue currently being decided. A number of options that offer a flat-looped circuit are being considered for Kipchoge, who last month won his fourth London Marathon title.

Jockey Club Services (JCS), which provides business services to UK sports organisations, has been appointed by UK Athletics to manage its financial processing function.

As part of the agreement, JCS will manage transactional processing, treasury, debtor management, expenses and financial reporting for UK Athletics. The two parties have agreed a three-year deal.

London Marathon charity donations through Virgin Money Giving, the race’s official fundraising partner, rocketed by more than 20% year-on-year for yesterday’s event.

Virgin Money, also the title sponsor of the 2019 London Marathon, said that total donations for the event had reached £63.7m by Friday, already setting a world record for an annual single-day fundraiser.

The average raised per runner was expected to smash last year’s total of £2,100, organisers added.

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is the face of a new campaign exploring the ‘power of parkrun’ by Sky Media and insurance provider Vitality.

The original film series features 10 first-hand accounts of people who have used parkrun – a free five-kilometre event that takes place globally every Saturday – to support them through challenging times in their lives.