The compressed timeline for track and field due to Covid pushing the Olympics back a year in 2020 has created an increase of attention to the sport. In the U.S., however, it seems the increased interest is overlooked. This is primarily because of the adjustment in how sports are viewed. As more people cut the cable and move to streaming, track and field viewership has risen, but it’s on YouTube. This is because of the ability to break down the sport into digital moments. Track and field events can last an entire day which traditional media outlets never figured out to show events. As streaming services like Hulu have begun to livestream various collegiate events more American athletes are gaining notoriety. Although there is growth in digital viewership, the USATF National event still required an outspoken Sha’Carri Richardson to get the competition aired correctly by NBC Sports.
While the college game shows up on Hulu live sports, the professional aspects increase in viewership hasn’t been boosted by media, that growth was by circumstance. The Olympics in 2021, rolled into the Diamond League and World Championships in 2022 and the turnaround from 2022 immediately meant the National Competition and World Championships are now upon us in 2023. This compressed scheduling along with the Diamond League this year has given track and field fans enough events to become familiar with the stars of the sport. Names like Trayvon Brommel, Fred Kerley and Noah Lyles are almost household names. But track and field is always ripe for disruption; and the sport is at its best when new names crash into the frame.
Cravont Charleston, who ran at North Carolina State University, wasn’t even on my radar and I watch a lot of track events. In the USATF Championships yesterday at Hayward Field, Charleston pulled an Ali in 64. In an extremely loaded field of track stars all sponsored by billion-dollar companies:
- Noah Lyles – adidas
- Christian Coleman – Nike
- Trayvon Brommel – New Balance
A relatively unknown Cravont Charleston rocking a uniform featuring a small bunny rabbit named Eliot on his jersey and pants, pulled off a stunning performance. That small hare logo belongs to the brand Tracksmith. This is officially the first post I’ve written about the company although the brand has launched a running shoe. There is irony in my lack of coverage. On the Tracksmith website: Performance Running Gear, Apparel, and Accessories | Tracksmith is a host of incredible content. The brand has made a true effort in getting the story of the everyday athlete in various forms of media to help motivate and educate fans of running. An additional aspect of irony is that in 2014 the company had a similar position to New Balance in the past. They weren’t looking to sponsor pros. There couldn’t be a more perfect alignment or opportunity for both brand and athlete than this moment. Tracksmith by comparison to the other brands is miniscule. At 270,000 visits a month in website traffic and researched revenue of 5.7 million, Cravont Charleston landed a blow for the quick and agile Eliot against the hunting prowess of the N, Trefoil and Swoosh. The brand’s Tracksmith – YouTube channel only has 7,000+ subscribers. This is the type of brand I love to highlight and I missed several occasions to do that as Tracksmith has collaborated with Puma, NOAH and Taylor Stitch. I may have missed the brand in the past, but I couldn’t miss Eliot and Cravont Charleston as they “Shook up the World…” or at least the Nation, for now.
Note: Tracksmith has a unique opportunity to pull a Saysh for Cravont. They should begin working to produce Cravont a superspike to replace his current shoes of choice. Sayshe is Alyson Felix’s lifestyle brand. She wore her own spikes in her final Olympics after leaving Nike.
“TRACK” is a symbol of commitment to training and racing, while “SMITH” represents dedication to a specialized craft – an obsession with quality and function.
