Ironman and Hoka One One Announce Australia/New Zealand Partnership

IRONMAN and HOKA ONE ONE have officially announced that their partnership will now extend from North America and Europe into Australia and New Zealand. These two global brands will now collaborate in Oceania with a multi-year deal that will position HOKA ONE ONE, as the Official Running Partner of IRONMAN Oceania.

HOKA and IRONMAN will work together as brand partners for the first time in Australia at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong triathlon, beginning Saturday 16 February. Global HOKA triathlete and Aussie hero Josh Amberger will be featured as part of the launch, appearing in Geelong at the HOKA experiential expo zone to meet and greet competitors.

The partnership highlights HOKA’s growing dominance in triathlon. The running shoe brand has been the number one running shoe choice among IRONMAN® World Championship competitors in Kailua-Kona for the last two years. As the first global marketplace for the brand outside of North America and France, many Australian athletes are familiar with HOKA but many more are yet to try it for themselves.

HOKA ONE ONE Vice President, Global Marketing and Sales, Lee Cox said the expansion of the partnership between HOKA ONE ONE and IRONMAN to the Oceania region, in addition to North America and Europe, marks an exciting new point our growth as a brand for athletes across the globe.

“IRONMAN competitors have the highest expectations for the performance of their equipment, so it follows that an increasing number have found HOKA’s cushion, geometry, and ride characteristics to their liking. We are thrilled to make that partnership official in a new region in 2019.”

HOKA’s Australian Sales Manager, Ian Thomas said HOKA is very excited to become part of IRONMAN’s massive event calendar across Australia.

“Our global brand partners at Deckers are visionary both in terms of product development and market potential, and without their support, this would have taken many more years to happen.”

IRONMAN Oceania Managing Director, Dave Beeche said IRONMAN is delighted to partner with HOKA at our eight IRONMAN Oceania events.

“IRONMAN athletes in Europe and North America have been enjoying this relationship at events in 2018, so we are very excited to see our dedicated athletes reap the benefits of world-class footwear on race day and during training in 2019 and beyond. I have seen the impact on athletes HOKA has had at our IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona Hawai`i, and we are looking forward to creating a long-lasting partnership here in our region.”

While HOKA sees a fantastic opportunity marketing directly through IRONMAN, the greatest excitement is around opportunities for their highly successful Humans of HOKA campaign.

Through a growing collection of acclaimed short films, users share a wide range of emotionally charged stories. With a focus on self-expression, overcoming adversity, and seeking the best from themselves, the brand’s storytelling has elevated everyday runners to become inspirational brand heroes.