adidas HK empowers marathon runners with real-time encouragement

Adidas Hong Kong has empowered runners along the Hong Kong Marathon route with various out-of-home displays, delivering tailored, real-time messages during the toughest stretches.

Also known as the “ADIZERO campaign for Hong Kong Marathon”, the four-week campaign was done in collaboration with creative agency We Glow Hong Kong, targeting all runners.

As an official sponsor of the Hong Kong Marathon, adidas aims to support all runners in performing their best, from first-time participants to seasoned racers. The campaign is built to reinforce confidence and motivation at key moments of the race—helping runners stay focused, maintain rhythm, and push through fatigue.

At the heart of the campaign is adidas’ commitment to helping runners unlock their best performance—supported by the ADIZERO series engineered for racing and training, including ADIZERO ADIOS PRO 4, built for record-breaking performance, and ADIZERO BOSTON 13, designed to power faster training sessions.

To bring this performance message to life in a way that feels personal and relevant, adidas deployed contextual outdoor creative along the marathon route, tailoring different lines to specific course locations. From the most demanding stretches to the final push toward the finish, each placement is designed to act as a timely boost of encouragement when runners need it most.

For adidas, the campaign is a simple idea executed at scale: meet runners in the moment, on the route, with the right words—so they can keep moving forward and perform at their best.

Florence Kong, managing director at We Glow, said: “Outdoor is usually a broadcast medium, but this idea turns it into a conversation with runners. By placing the right message at the right stretch of the course, we’re helping runners reset their mindset in real time—so whether it’s the toughest climb or the final straight, they feel supported to keep going.”

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On Sunday (18 January), the Hong Kong Marathon attracted about 74,000 runners across three categories: 10 km, half-marathon and the full marathon. This year, the Youth Run has been added to the Hong Kong Marathon Expo to immerse young people in the marathon spirit. According to the organiser, around 25% of the expected participants are non-locals, setting a new record.

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said in a Facebook post that the Hong Kong Marathon has drawn running enthusiasts from around the world to compete against the backdrop of the city's unique landscape, reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as a hub for international sporting events.

"The Hong Kong government will continue to actively promote the development of sports through elite training, event hosting, professionalism, industrialisation, and popularisation, organising a variety of recreational activities to encourage citizens to develop regular exercise habits," he said. 

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