Monday Break - Issue 106
Here’s your Monday Break to kick off the week with our latest news!
Mark Cavendish ends his dream career winning
Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in the final race of his career at the Singapore Criterium. The Brit, who announced the race would be his last, brought the curtiain down on his illustrious career with another victory. Cavendish's career has seen him claim a record 35 Tour de France stage wins and his swansong win in Singapore was the 166th of a 19-year professional career.
2025 Life Time Grand Prix Roster Announced
Life Time has revealed the men’s and women’s rosters for the 2025 Life Time Grand Prix series, marking the fourth edition of this off-road race series with its most diverse lineup yet. The new roster features athletes from 12 different countries, with over a third coming from outside the U.S.
International stars in the men’s field include Italy’s Mattia De Marchi, Belgium’s Lawrence Naesen, and Ethiopia’s Tsgabu Grmay. Returning champions include Keegan Swenson, Matt Beers, and Payson McElveen. For the women, defending champion Sofia Gomez and nearly 70% of last season’s riders are back, joined by newcomers like Cécile Lejeune from France, Australian gravel champion Courtney Sherwell, and Britain’s Annabel Fisher.
Gravel Earth Series 2025: 25 Races, 15 Countries
The Gravel Earth Series 2025 will feature 25 events across 15 countries, with a notable addition of eight races in North America. A new scoring system will award a €37,500 prize purse across three categories: elite male, elite female, and non-binary.
The series opens in Spain with La Santa Vall, a two-day event in February, and will tentatively conclude with Ranxo Gravel on September 28.The series will still include races in Costa Rica, Canada, South Africa, Colombia, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, the U.S., Finland, Chile, and Kenya, featuring a mix of single-day and stage races across diverse terrain.
Running with purpose: Footprints Camp inspires climate action
Trail runner Dakota Jones explores the connection between trail running and environmental responsibility, emphasizing that the sport’s simplicity and accessibility are threatened by climate change. In response, he founded Footprints Running camp to empower runners to initiate climate action within their communities, helping them transition from concern to meaningful impact.
Run Clubs Are Booming. But as Their Central Role Changes, Can Brands Still Capitalize?
The Prospect Park Track Club (PPTC) in Brooklyn exemplifies the growing trend of running clubs as community hubs rather than just competitive groups. Club president Crystal Cun highlights how the club’s purpose has evolved, now focusing more on relationship-building within the running community while still supporting athletic goals.
Podcast of the week - Second Nature
Jonathan Levitt joins Second Nature Pod to dig into the difference between brand marketing and performance marketing - and the impact that they make on both sides of the industry. As someone who works on the brand side, but also as a successful podcaster, Jonathan has a unique perspective on both approaches to growing brands.