Earlier this week, Eliud Kipchoge announced that this autumn will again attempt to smash running’s final milestone record: a marathon run in less than two hours. (He’s tried it before, back in 2017 during Nike’s Breaking2 Project when he ran 26.22 miles in two hours and 25 seconds.) The timing of the announcement isn’t accidental; 65 years ago, on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister did what was then considered impossible and ran a single mile in under four minutes. The two feats are different in a critical way — Kipchoge is a professional athlete; Bannister was a doctor.
While Nike recently released what it hopes is its fastest running shoe ever (which Kipchoge wore to win the London Marathon), the apparel brand Tracksmith is channeling Bannister’s spirit with its new Amateur Collection. The pieces maintain Tracksmith’s collegiate aesthetic but add emblems that read “amateur” and patches inspired directly by those owned by George Dole, who ran against Bannister in the record-breaking competition (and came in last with a time of four minutes and 25 seconds). They decorate some of our favorite pieces from Tracksmith, like the Van Cortlandt Singlet and the Grayboy Tee.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Outdoor Voices EcoMesh T-Shirt ($45)
Ciele Athletics GoCap ($45)
Lululemon Pace Breaker Short ($68)
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