Make It Personal

SYDNEY, it’s nearly time. 🇦🇺🏃 On 30 August, more than 40,000 runners from over 140 countries will take on 42.2km through Sydney for the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS This race is always a special one for us. We’ve worked alongside the Sydney Marathon team for more than 10 years, and over that time we’ve seen the event grow, evolve and earn its place on the world stage as an Abbott World Marathon Majors. To still be part of the runner experience after all that time means a lot to us. It’s a partnership built over many years, many medals and thousands of finish-line moments, and one we’re incredibly proud of. Because while the scale of Sydney is huge, every finish is still personal. So to everyone taking on Sydney this weekend: enjoy every second of it. Take in the crowds, the Bridge, the city and that final stretch towards the Opera House. And as for this year’s medal… the landmark mix-up has made an already special edition even more memorable. We have a feeling that one will be talked about for a few years yet. 👀 Good luck from all of us at Make It Personal and a huge shoutout to the Sydney Marathon team ahead of another massive race day. 🏅 This is your time. #TCSSydneyMarathon #MakeItPersonal #AbbottWMM #ThisIsYourTime

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗹. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹. 🏅 Not every runner keeps their medal in the same way - and not every medal is designed the same way either. That’s why we’ve built three different ways for runners to add their name and finish time to the moment they earned: 𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯: the original. Designed specifically for our partner event medals, fitting neatly into the dedicated space on the back for a seamless finish. 𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀: the universal option. It attaches directly to the ribbon, meaning runners can personalise almost any medal... even one that’s been sitting in a drawer for years. 𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯 𝗺𝗮𝘅: for the races that mean that little bit more. A premium metal hanger, with name, finish time and the race distance engraved. For our partners, it’s less about one option being better than another and more about choice: the itab sits directly on the medal, while Plus and Max hang from the ribbon, giving runners different ways to personalise and display the same achievement. First marathon. A long-awaited PB. The race that nearly broke you. The medal from ten years ago you still won’t throw away. Different memories deserve different ways of being kept. We’ve broken down the differences and which option works best for which runner in our latest blog 👇 https://lnkd.in/ew-dmM2z #MakeItPersonal #RunningIndustry #RaceEvents #Medals #RaceDirectors #Marathon

Big welcome to Vicky Simmons and Alice Doel, our two new Account Managers 👋 We thought a team run was the perfect way to welcome Vicky and Alice to Make It Personal. A few miles, plenty of laughs and a good excuse to get out of the office together, not a bad way to kick off their first week with the team.🏃♀️ We’re really excited to have them both on board and to see them get stuck into their accounts, build relationships with our partners and become part of the team. Here’s to new beginnings, new partnerships and plenty more miles together. 🧡 #MakeItPersonal #TeamMIP #NewBeginnings #TeamRun

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗭’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯? 🏃♀️ > 🪩 Run clubs aren’t just having a moment. They’re starting to reflect a bigger shift in how younger generations choose to socialise. Strava Clubs grew 3.5× in 2025, while UK research found 72% of Gen Z run-club attendees are there to meet new people. So, why are more young people swapping nights out for miles out? 𝟭. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. Running has one of the lowest barriers to entry: no expensive equipment, memberships or specific venue needed.  With organised running communities becoming increasingly popular, it’s easier than ever to get involved. There are now 2,100+ parkrun locations across 22 countries, joining a running community can be as simple as turning up. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. People still want to meet people — they’re just changing where they do it. 66% of Gen Z say they’ve made friends through a fitness group and 55% joined for the social connection. Nearly one in five have even dated someone they met through exercise. Rather than relying on alcohol or expensive venues to socialise, run clubs create an environment where those connections can happen more naturally. 𝟯. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗿. Run clubs don’t make young people choose between their social life and their health. You can meet people while doing something positive for your physical and mental wellbeing , something Strava has found is becoming an increasingly important fitness goal for Gen Z. 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹. A first 5K, a longer distance, a new PB or a race medal gives people a reason to keep showing up — especially when those milestones are shared with a community. Gen Z are 75% more likely than Gen X to say a race or event is their main motivation for exercising. At Make It Personal, we know those goals aren’t always about the fastest time, sometimes, crossing the finish line is the achievement. That’s ultimately what we exist to celebrate: turning those moments into something people can keep. 🧡 Run clubs probably aren’t replacing the nightclub completely. But their rise tells us something about how young people are choosing to spend their time: they still want connection, community and shared experiences — they’re just finding new places to do it. 🏃♀️ #MakeItPersonal #Running #GenZ #RunningClubs #Social

What happens to race medals after the finish line? For too many runners, the answer is... a drawer. After all the training, sacrifice and commitment it took to earn them, countless race medals end up forgotten instead of becoming lasting reminders of the journey. But it doesn't have to be that way. In our latest blog, we explore some of the best ways runners are giving their medals the recognition they deserve - from personalised keepsakes and premium displays to creative framing ideas, dedicated medal walls, and even meaningful ways to give medals a second life. ✅ If you're looking for inspiration to help your participants celebrate their achievements long after race day, or you're curious how runners are preserving their proudest moments, this one's for you. Read the full blog to discover 7 ways to make race medals last long after the clock stops 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eKf5r85i

What if the biggest achievement in running isn't the finish time? When we spoke to running creator Matthew Jones for our Inspired series, one thing stood out above everything else. "Always treat others as you wish to be treated." A mantra he's carried since primary school, and one that quietly shapes the way he approaches running, content creation and the community around him. For Matt, his proudest running moment wasn’t a PB or a podium. It was the first run he did after losing his Dad, and rediscovering how much running helped him on those hard days. Not for the time on the clock, but for the feeling and outlet it gave him. That’s the feeling he’s chased ever since. That mindset carried into his first race, the Barry Island 10K, where the focus wasn't performance, but simply enjoying the experience. It's a reminder that the moments which keep people in our sport often aren't the fastest ones. They're the moments that reconnect us with why we started. The same philosophy runs through Matt's content. Drawing inspiration from films and video games, he approaches every video like a short story, using creativity to educate, inspire, or simply make someone smile. It's proof that great content isn't always about chasing algorithms. It's about making people feel something. His advice to anyone starting their journey is simple: "Don't judge a run by the first 10 minutes, and don't judge your running journey by your first few runs. Everyone starts as a beginner. Stick it out and you might find some magic on the other side." At Make It Personal, we love celebrating stories like Matt's because they remind us that behind every finish time is something far more meaningful: a personal reason for showing up. Thank you, Matt, for sharing your story with us. 🧡 #Inspired #MakeItPersonal #RunningCommunity #Storytelling #ContentCreation #Running

This weekend, thousands of runners will take to the stunning Sunshine Coast for one of Australia's most iconic running festivals. 🌊☀️ We'd like to wish every runner the very best of luck. Soak up the spectacular scenery and embrace every moment as you cross the finish line. We're incredibly grateful to be part of the runner stories being created across Australia. Seeing Make It Personal become part of Atlas Events' events means runners on the other side of the world can commemorate their achievements in a personal way too. After the fantastic response at the Cairns Marathon, we're excited to see even more finishers make their Sunshine Coast memories last this weekend. Our Account Manager, Alexis Ogden , said: "We've been working with Atlas since 2014. It's been brilliant to witness their growth over the past 12 years and see the Sunshine Coast Marathon become such a firmly established event on the Queensland running calendar. We're proud to continue celebrating the achievements of runners together." Best of luck to everyone taking part this weekend - we can't wait to see your finish-line moments. 🏅

Looks like this month's social budget has officially been reinvested into the British horse racing industry. 🐎💸 The Make It Personal team headed to Newbury Racecourse for an evening of laughs, great company and very questionable betting strategies. As it turns out, choosing a horse based on the coolest name or nicest colours isn't quite the winning formula... The evening was also a bittersweet one as we said goodbye to our brilliant Account Manager, Alexis Ogden. Over the years, she's brought so much care, warmth and genuine dedication to both our partners and the team, and her impact won't be forgotten. While we'll miss having her around the office, we're so excited to see what this next chapter brings for her. A brilliant evening with an even better team, and the perfect way to send Alexis off. And sometimes the best investment a company can make isn't in the horses... it's in bringing great people together. 🧡 #NewburyRacecourse #MakeItPersonal #Team #TeamBuilding #RunningCommunity

The strongest brands are built by their communities. 🌏   One of the biggest shifts in marketing over the past few years has been the rise of user-generated content.   People trust people. That's why so many brands are moving away from polished advertising and towards real stories from real customers.   But the best community content isn't created because someone asked for it.   At Make It Personal, we're always grateful when runners tag us or send us photos of their medals. They're not posting because of the product itself. It's not the material, the engraving or the font that makes them want to share it.   They're sharing what it represents.   The feeling of crossing a finish line they once thought was impossible.   Our personalised itab simply becomes a small part of a massive story.   That's why the most meaningful marketing isn't something we create in-house. It's the moments our community chooses to share because their achievement means something to them.   As marketers, we can create campaigns. But communities create belief. Check out our Your Time Instagram Story and see our community grow, one achievement at a time: https://lnkd.in/eGErRKas   #MakeItPersonal #UGC #Marketing #RacePartners #Medals #RunningCommunity