Marathons Finished?

The 125th Boston Marathon, initially scheduled for April 2021, will be postponed until at least fall of next year — the 124th edition was canceled due to the pandemic. Massachusetts’ reopening plan currently restricts road races and large gatherings — this year’s race was slated to have more than 31,500 runners.

Races have suffered in the U.S. during the pandemic, with a 95% year-over-year drop in timed race finishers between mid-March and mid-October. It’s not just in the U.S. as four of the six designated World Marathon Majors were canceled and the two others were scaled back — including Tokyo, which hosted just 200 elite runners on March 11 compared to nearly 38,000 the year prior.

This weekend, more than 50,000 runners were expected to take part in the New York City Marathon; instead there is a virtual race allowing participants to complete 26.2 miles on any day until Nov. 1.

Finishers in Timed Events:

2020: 1.8 million

2019: 11.8 million

2018: 12.1 million

2017: 12.5 million

2016: 13.0 million

• Reports say Super Bowl LV in Tampa will be held with limited fans, about 20% capacity.
• The American Hockey League pushed back its planned start date from Dec. 4, 2020 to Feb. 5, 2021. 
• The National Lacrosse League, which normally starts in November, has pushed its next season start date to April 2021.

Big 5 Sporting Goods had its best quarter ever with a 14.8% same store sales increase. The retailer reported $28.4 million in income, up from $6.4 million year-over-year.

Consumers looking for ways to stay active drove the growth according to CEO and President Steven Miller, who said there was “extraordinary demand” for products related to home fitness and outdoor recreation. Big 5 shares are up more than 148% on the year. 

The push for at-home workout equipment has had a wide impact across fitness-related industries, ranging from Dick’s Sporting Goods — which saw sales rise 20% year-over-year in its second quarter — to Peloton, which announced its first quarterly profit last month.

Fitness Headlines

• JPMorgan Chase added up to $120 in Peloton credits to its Chase Sapphire credit cards.
• Whoop closed on a $100 million Series E funding round, valuing the company at $1.2 billion.
• Garmin released a fitness smartwatch aimed at esports streamers.

On top of its video game prowess, Twitch is staking its claim as a platform for beauty brands. Beauty influencer Michelle Phan recently hosted a Twitch livestream to help launch a new product for Em Cosmetics. 

Em Cosmetics sold 248% more units compared to previous launches — with the 3.5 hour livestream accounting for 17% of its revenue that day. Normally creating content for her 9 million YouTube subscribers, Phan has made an early entry in a growing Twitch category. 

Influencers like skincare expert Young Yuh and Alexys Fleming, who shows off body-paint creations while gaming, say the platform’s interactivity with viewers makes it a more appealing platform than TikTok or IG Live.

Notable Twitch Beauty Trends

• Hero Cosmetics saw a 150% return on ad spend in a campaign with gaming streamer Seum. 
• Beauty and Body Art categories increased 208% from November 2019 to August 2020.
• Brands MAC Cosmetics and Maybelline were involved in TwitchCon in 2019.