In the beginning on location Courtney, we are currently
sitting in a very nice Airbnb. I guess it is I assume so in in
Hobart we have just we are here because Salomon who have
presented the Kanani Mountain run the Golden Trail series.
I've just run it. You're injured and we are joined
in this special edition of In the Beginning by the Omni
Channel Brand Manager of Salomon Australia, Pete Coopers.
Pete, how are you? I'm well, I'm well.
It's brilliant. You've both come down and we've
had the time of our lives out there.
Thanks for chasing me up that mountain.
That's a mouthful, isn't it? That intro Just let's just call
him the boss. Yeah, the boss is Salomon
instead of calling an Omni channel member.
So, Courtney, lay it out because you actually have done nothing
today. I've been on the camera, I've
been doing the hardest work at all.
It was freezing up on the top of the mountain.
But no, you got Kanani Trail, like obviously the Golden, the
Solomon Golden Trail series here.
So you know, everyone was out racing 25K.
It's what do we got, isn't it? About 1600 I think.
Yeah, the 1600. Really.
Geez, I think the website undersold that one.
It was long. I'm interested to hear you
fellas tell me all about the run.
But I think, you know, you have everything from the elite, the
best elites in the country. Yep, trying to win this race.
And then they have a series and the winner of that series and
goes off to a world final. Where's the world final this
year? Hasn't been announced yet.
Hasn't been announced so it's still a big surprise, but the
best Aussie gets to go and race the best in the world at this
some of the other. Kind of like the main Golden
trail, for those who run trail you've got, there's got Sagama.
Yeah, there's World Series, so China and and Japan Kobe trail
will be there as well. So it big series and global.
Well, the well, it is the best or the premier short course
series in the world. Yeah, correct.
The ranging from 20 right through to 30 KS.
Yep, yeah. And in in Australia, no better
course, I don't think so. Let's talk about it.
Because today there was the 25K Mountain run, you had the Alpine
Marathon which was 42 and a bit, and then you had the Ultra which
was 66, which is actually just finishing while we start talking
here from the warmth of this beautiful home in Hobart.
But the back story very quickly before we get into celebrating
the course, let's RIP the band aid off.
There was a bet, mate. There was a bet, mate.
Lee, PV, Liam winner take all 25K mountain run.
Oh, and who won? I got.
Absolutely dusted. I got absolutely dusted.
Let's put it into context too though.
Last night we were talking and and P saying PB in the marathon
of 333330. Right 321.
Right, I had you as I had you as favourite on the on the on the
TAB. What?
Do you know what your actual finishing time was?
No, I think we checked. It was three.
I was three. I was 20 I think.
Yeah, you. You smashed me 16 minutes.
You beat me home. I was doing sport cheques out on
the course so I saw you leave. I saw you probably 3/4 of the
way up Mount Wellington and at that stage I reckon it was
probably a 7 minute difference. Pete was up.
Yeah, only enough I thought it would blow out after that.
I saw you at the top of the mountain, so right on the peak,
all wide out. I think you'd actually clawed
back a little bit of time, Liam. And then while we're waiting at
the finish line, well then that that story told itself.
Yeah, I blew up on the downhill. I blew up in a very big way on
the downhill. Can we talk?
We'll talk about our race experiences as we go, but this
course pay. I don't know what you thought
about. Have you run it before?
Two years ago, yeah. So you know what?
You knew what to expect. Yeah, but this course, Courtney,
I told you in the car as we drove off, the 25K race is
perfect. It's perfect because I'm sitting
here now capable of actually having this conversation with
you both and not having to be asleep or on the floor or
anything. So the distance is nice, but you
get, you get so tested on the way up and then on the way down,
the scenery is unbelievable. It is just, it is a perfect
race. I loved it.
I loved the 25 K here. I thought it was so good.
This is what I told you last night.
It was always gonna be, you know, walking through some
serious incline and then you've got the opportunity just to
absolutely nail it as well. So it offers everything.
Serious incline is an understatement.
You were saying that? Halfway incline is an
understatement. What, when I first saw you.
So you've probably climbed, I reckon, about 600 to 700 metres
of elevation when you saw me, which you didn't even recognise
me. So that told me a little bit of
what was going on. But actually, no, I, I saw Pete
first. When you saw me, what were you
thinking at that stage? Where is he?
Where is. He say that am I ahead No, but
when you saw me like what what are you thinking?
You had really no expectation what you're coming into.
You're in your first kind of proper mountain trail race,
right? Because you've got Blue
Mountains, you've got like ETA and these types of things.
You go up and down, up and down and get a lot of verse.
This is, this is a mountain race.
Yeah. And it's probably, I'd go as far
as I'm just trying to think of what other mountain in Australia
you could do this style of mountain race where you're
literally 1000 metres up on a proper trail.
Not many. Straight back down that's.
Easy to get you to that's. Yeah, because he's like the
elevation's minor. So you go up, you literally
leave Jindabyne and by the time you get up to or something, I
mean, yes, Threadbos got a really steep incline, but even
that's only 7 kilometres. Right.
This was, this was sharp when I saw you.
I mean, you're about nine, maybe 10 KS in and I felt like I'd
done nothing but walk. It was, it was gruelling.
It was, it was amazing because you got, by the time I got to
you, you'd done some fire trail, you'd done some single trail and
you'd done that rock hopping section, which Pete, you said
when you get over those rocks, make sure you look right.
The grind of the hills is relentless.
And then suddenly you've kind of, I would, I, my experience
was I kind of forgot that I was climbing up right because you
know, you're just grinding away. You're climbing up rocks, you're
walking up stairs, you're walking up fire trail and then
all of a sudden it was at that rock section.
You look right and you're like, Oh my God, Hobart is all the way
down there. I've I've done.
Some serious climbing. 600 elevation or so.
And so when I saw you, I've got to be honest, when I saw you the
first time and then in between the summit, I now have one
instruction rule I'd like to implement in trail running.
Can you pay? I'd like you to put this down.
I would like you to put this into any future settlement
events. If you are descending from the
highest point, unless you pass a runner within a 2 minute window
of the summit, you are not allowed to tell them you're
almost there. The worst thing you can?
You are not allowed to tell those people who are still
climbing. Oh, you're almost there.
Because I reckon I heard that four KS out from the summit.
I reckon I heard that with at least half an hour still of
climbing ahead of me. And I look, I was no hope for
chasing that person down because I think they were the leaders,
but I was furious. It wasn't patronising at all
when I gave you a hug. Oh.
I found that really nice, actually.
Pete. On the way back, we had a
crossover moment. Pete came up and gave me a hug.
I didn't find that. Was it meant to be patronising?
That was kind of. There was there was some big
talk before the race. It was some big chat there.
Yeah. Well, actually, do you want to
tell this story? Do we want to tell the bet that
was laid down? Which I didn't know about.
So you can tell the bet it was your bet it.
Gets embarrassing. So I made the statement that pre
race if I beat Pete the big boss of Salomon, I would get a full
time Salomon athlete contract. That agreement wasn't made.
I was having a bit of fun with it, but then the MC of the race.
Did you hear this bit? Yeah, yeah.
Because the race actually started like they distributed
that. He announced that on the start
line and Pete and I are standing next to each other and then the
whole field of this 25K race turned around and looked at us.
I pointed somewhere else. I I I was looking.
For Pete, I pointed somewhere else.
Liam, I'll tell you, I wouldn't have let this hat.
I was pretty confident. That I was gonna win?
No. Oh good.
'Cause I know how much running Pete's been doing.
He did. What have you done in backyard
recently? Backyard recently I've done at
UTA 50 as well and so that's been good.
But yeah, gold. Coast last year?
Yep. Yep, I managed to run in Milan
on the way through to a conference.
You've been running a lot and he's looking trim from when?
Looking trim from when he looked like a trail runner.
Well, from when he first came over to the it's actually a
pretty good conversation 'cause you weren't really a runner
before you started coming and working at Solomon.
Cast it right back to under twelves football.
I'll show you, I'll show you a photo of someone that was just
there for sausages. So no, it's been, it's been a
really, really good. So you come from the bike
industry, you got on your bikes. And then this is what I was
saying to Liam about Solomon as a brand or especially here in
Australia, but I'm assuming it's a global thing.
Everyone who gets within the company, wherever they've come
from, seem to get involved in what they participate.
Whether there's snow, whether that's trail, whether that's Rd,
everyone runs. It seems like a company like
you're fully passionate and invested in what you do in day
to day. Yeah, absolutely.
And and the staff that we're bringing in all have to have
that element of the outdoors and getting out there and unleashing
the best version of themselves. So that also helps from a day to
day perspective. Passion.
You're understanding product and also understanding what the
communities are using that product for at the end of the
day, which makes it super helpful.
Yeah. So, yeah, no, there are trail
runners. Back to your point, we've got
skiers. We've got strong, strong winter.
Does anyone last? If they're like thinking, hey,
we're going for a run at lunch and then they're still sitting
there eating their lunch, Yeah. Then they get, they get, they
get moved. No, no, no, no.
There's something like that. Why did you start running?
Why did I start? When you got to Salomon.
So you stop, start sports. For me, I was in into into
footy, into tennis and all that sort of stuff and then came
around back to Courtney's point with the recycling industry.
So straight away you're head to toe and lycra and learning how
to, you know, yeah, clip out and not, not embarrass yourself in
front of your friends. And then running came along with
you saw it today, you know, the community that you do are
surrounded by and do interact with, you know, essentially, I
mean for running for banana bread, really.
Yeah, on. The weekend, but no, it's, it's
been a really, really good, enjoyable cardio experience.
But you, you saw it today. You don't need to run every
hill. It's, you know, it starts to get
really painful. But if my experience was you
don't need to run any hill. You you can appreciate the elite
when they're when they're out there and they're absolutely
hauling up those hills. But take that moment to look
around as I stretched with you throughout the whole weekend.
Look right, look over Hobart, pinch yourself and go hang on a
minute. This is actually really cool and
I'm surrounded by like minded individuals.
So, you know, our community runs, our shop runs there, you
know, you've seen run clubs just absolutely take off.
I know you guys have covered that in detail, but that's,
that's the booming, that's the booming trend that we're seeing
and and we're really lucky to be a part of.
It just quickly. We're going to talk about the
booming. Yeah, we're going to talk.
About that's another whole conversation Pete just talked
about. Excuse me, Pete just talked
about watching the elites run up the hill.
Watching the elites run down the hill, impressive is that's the
thing that's amazing to see because they are flying, flying.
They are taking these steep steps, steep inclines, loose
rock at pace, which is just terrifying now.
I couldn't believe it. There's that section where Pete
gave me the patronising hug a bit before that.
Watching the leaders run past was amazing.
But this is what I say like we've we've talked about trail
shoes before and the main thing around you can get away with
running in Rd shoes in majority of trail runs out there.
But when it's a course like today, that's then when suddenly
you know, when we talk about specific trail shoes, this is
where then the group makes such a difference.
And when I started with Solomon was I think I ran the 22 K at
UTA and I was obviously went out and bought a pair and then the
guys from Solomon saw me. So what are you doing?
Like, do you want to run? And I said, well, the reason I'm
in Solomon at that point is purely because it is the best
grip. Now the trail industries like
choose across the range, not just Solomon since then have
come just leaps and bounds, right?
There's so much more competition.
But that one thing still, if I go out today and I go, what am I
going to choose for this course? And the first thing in trail I
think about is grip and what is it?
And that's what I've always been able to trust these guys for, is
that knowing whether I'm in New Zealand running on rock, whether
it's Australia or up in the, you know, up in North Queensland in
the jungle, I can trust the grip.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was interesting seeing people
out about today and seeing the different shoes that they were
wearing. Pete, can we talk about the
race? Just going back to we'll get to
Salomon a bit more and and I love the fact that you've now
four years into being with the brand, you're this weapon of a
runner who I lost to today. But the race today, just going
back to what was your favourite part because you've run it
before, What was the part you most enjoyed about that 25 K hit
out today? Yeah, I think that's the
starting line. And everyone's, you're getting
that nervous energy, Everyone, no matter the level of of
performance that you do have that level of energy and
cowbells and, you know, getting a whole lot of, you know, you're
buzzing off the crowd, which is brilliant.
And then you set off and then you're, hey, it's just me, my
pack. I've got nutrition, I've got
enough water. Nothing can go wrong from that
standpoint. And then you set off and then
you're starting to think, OK, how am I going to chunk this up
now? And then you get to aid
stations. But I think the highlight is, is
when you when you're getting up to that, that point where we
climb those stairs at the end, just before that, you start to
fly through again. You're like, I've been going
really slow. I've been walking up and my legs
are sore now I'm starting to flush these out.
And then also you got some magnificent views.
We got to the top today and you couldn't see too much from from
the pinnacle. A lot of grey, a lot of grey.
But yeah, I think the the bit before those stairs, yeah.
Is that one of the best at the pinnacle?
I've obviously got the aid station inside because it was
blowing a Gale. Everything was 3.5°.
Blowing a Gale up there. Is that what?
It got down to. Yeah, when when you guys left
the start, that's what temperature it was up the top.
What is that one of the better aid stations you've ever seen
like one? It's picturesque when when it's
clear, but jeez, it seemed like a good place to go and hide for
a while. I noticed you were in there.
I was in there for a while. You were in there for a little
bit longer. I was expecting after I saw you
in there for about, you know, a couple of minutes or whatever, I
thought, jeez, Liam mightn't come out for half an hour.
It's. Pretty efficient.
I was pretty. You were.
You were in. I was in you.
Were in and out Tim Tams. Grab the snakes.
Grab the Tim Tams. Yeah, yeah.
That is that like from the outside that was one of the
better we might like have seen trail race as one of the better
aid stations. I wanted to go into the.
If you, if you've ever been to Mount Wellington before, it's
basically that lookout Hut and that incredible architecture
thing that, that you, you loop through there sort of Figure 8
style. And it was amazing.
And that's what I that's the other thing that we, you should
always shout out at after a trail race or event.
The volunteers, the the the crew that go up there and man the aid
station and, and man the road crossings and all that sort of
stuff and drag their kids out to do it with them and put the
cowbell and the kids. It's awesome like that.
That is one thing that trail will always have over Rd racing
is the volunteer environment to it.
Like and I know it's a part of and I don't want to make it Rd V
trail, but I don't think I think trail is the the energy, the
positive vibes out on the trail and on the course from the non
competitors is the is the point. Yet I think it's #1.
Totally agree. And so, you know, you start to
talk to people about what an aid station is and what it looks
like. You know, we got up there and we
were, we were spent. And you're fumbling around,
you're bringing out your soft last and like some Coca Cola and
then you're looking over to the next thing and there's hand cut
sandwiches there for you. And then you're like, Oh well,
might as well stay here and have lunch.
So, yeah, back to your point though, Courtney, I think the
highlight or sorry, the highlight, the best aid station
I've ever come across was back to that, that race in Italy.
I think when I got up there, there was not a lick of English.
They saw a flag on on my bib and they said, oh, brilliant, from
New Zealand. I said yeah, sure.
And then we looked at salami. There was bread, there was
cheese. And I'm sitting there going hang
on a minute. I reckon I'll just rest up here.
What was the race in Italy? It was around Lake Otter, so it
was a race that a friend of mine said, look, you're going to be
in Annessy the next week. Let's so let's stop and have
this, you know, 40K race. Can we interrupt quickly?
Yeah. What's Anasy?
Anasy is the home of Salomon, right?
So yeah. Let's get back to that and go to
that. Can you tell me about Italy?
Absolutely. So this this race, my friend had
made these shirts for us. You know, the high school guys
were all over there and we were called the Pastor Boys Run Club.
So we had T-shirts, we had T-shirts and we were the Pastor
Boys Run Club. And when we got to the finish
line we were wearing these Pastor Boys Run Club T shirts.
Everyone thought we were from a particular run club in Italy and
they were asking us in complete Italian.
We had no idea what was going on, but at the end of the race
they served you. Don't you don't speak some
Italian. Nothing.
Coopus. Coopus is not Italian man.
It'd be. Greek.
Greek, Yeah. Greek.
Greek, yeah. Well, completely different, like
the. Water's the same.
Same it's. Completely different for
language. I'm not.
Gonna have a job after today. Am I leaving?
No. So I love that.
Pete loves pizza. What?
Is that we're going on about Italy and it's just.
I love, I love that you've gone the part that I'm just
imagining, like if a bunch of Italians came down here to run
something like this and and made themselves, you know, the the
Sangers inbred run club or something like that.
What? Lapse of Bunnings or something
like that maybe? Just can we talk a bit about
Anasy? Because I learnt literally on
the flight over from Courtney that that's the home of Salomon.
Now, I'd never heard of the town and Courtney then went on to
talk to me about how he actually spent six months, a year or
something in a little town not far away.
But can we? What are the origins of Salomon
I mean? Yep, absolutely.
Let's let's do that because essentially this is this brand
that we all interact with, no matter which categories has come
from winter sport. So you've seen those little,
little laces that you got in your shoes and those little
quick laces which we spoke about, the little a little
pocket that they come with me, we can talk about that as well.
Quickly, if you're out there and you have a pair of Salomon
shoes, they don't tell you this. There's a little, there's a
little garage for your laces, right?
I ran. Here's a fun story.
I ran UTA 50 twice in Salomon shoes with the lace flapping
around and me trying not to trip over at 50 KS.
First time I ever went for a trail run with Courtney.
He goes why don't you tuck the shoes into the little garage?
I'm like, what are you talking? About is it officially called
the Lace Garage or is that something that's an?
Australian thing, there's a lace carport as well if you like.
But basically it is unique. Is it in the tongue?
There is a little spot to stick the laces.
Is it? Aided into Solomon.
Yeah, it is the quick laces. The quick laces is Solomon.
Absolutely from day dot. Yep, there's some imposters.
Maybe not really. No, they can't.
No, that's. That's it Solomon Cool.
And it's, I mean, when we talked, I talked about grip
earlier on, but it's also the speed laces, especially in
trail. So that's a winter sport
throwback. That's where it's come from.
So boots, bindings and obviously back to your point there around
the winter, winter sport heritage and then Fast forward
that and then we start to see products in, in what we call
soft goods and footwear and the different categories there.
But Annecy still has a factory, still research design.
It's the Annecy Design Centre which I've been fortunate enough
to go there a few Times Now and and seeing the the.
Testing, seeing the evolution, our S lab, so our Salomon lab
where the athletes will go in and get particular moulds done
and and different and fittings and and testing a product.
You'll see our athletes out there in in red shoes
prototyping test years in in advance.
So it's, it's a very inspirational building and and
town, they're working on skis. And then in the afternoons,
let's go test those skis in those mountains.
And you can literally move the curtains a bit and point at the
mountain they're going to go and testing.
So cool. So, so cool live feedback, which
is which is brilliant when you're in in manufacturing and
credible in the space. So yeah.
Yeah, that that's so where did, how did to stay with the history
for a moment? That's where it's born.
That's still the home of it. How did it, when did it kind of
transfer to Australia? When did it become brand locally
here? Yeah, we're seeing our soft
goods or our footwear as, as we, as we said, really take off in
the past 10 years. So, you know, we spoke at length
and it's always a conversation that comes up and we're seeing
it on the streets. We're seeing it in different
style executions. These, these, these shoes that
wear that wear what we have in sports style have are all
throwbacks and, and the technology and the actual
construction is exactly the same as it was when you or I would
have been running a hill in TAS 10 years ago.
So the, the, the credibility and, and I suppose that back to
Courtney's point with grip, our contour group hasn't, hasn't
changed. You know, it's evolved from a
performance standpoint always. But when you see it on on style
and sports style executions, it's exactly the same as it was.
That's what's wild to me. It's the actual grip.
When you see someone walking around in a pair of you know,
like speed cross or something, you know, like that's aggressive
grip. We'd only run in speed cross for
snow and thick mud. I mean these Tasmanian
conditions like it is a shoe that suits.
That was kind of was that the first sports style that really
kicked off? Yeah, absolutely sports speed
cross executions of though of that style, but also XT 6 is
something that you see all over the place.
That's the main 1 and that's had 10 plus year anniversary.
To break to, to just break it down because you guys are using
words like sports style and XTC and all this sort of stuff.
We're talking about fashion shoes.
That's what we're talking about, right?
Now talking sneakers. We're talking sneakers.
That's what we're that's that's
because I think Courtney and I've talked about this on the
podcast before, this idea of fashion sneakers and this
Salomon seems to be the shoe. It's like, you know, I don't
Nike obviously has these other brands have kind of the shoes
that they target and create as the not a perf, not an athletic
or a performance shoe, but they're just kind of a street
style shoe. But it's literally Salomon,
something about the brand, something about the style.
Did that come? Did you guys create that notion
or did you react to people picking it up?
Yeah, good question. So we've had fashion houses
wanna collaborate and this has all come now for the past 10:10
or so years in terms of, you know, fashion houses going to
Annecy designing their version or their iteration.
Just to go back to the fashion piece.
We, we have tiered sports style or sneakers, which caters to the
technical fashion. Then you've got technical
subculture and then the technical athletic is, is the
way that the the sneakers are all classified.
So that means that a certain product will end up in a certain
door in a certain part of our website, and then also the other
product will end up in a other areas.
So what does that do? It protects.
Are you wearing something cool?
You think it's cool, you're proud of it and you start to see
it everywhere. And then you're like, well, so
yeah, essentially what we're doing is making sure that this
product is ending up in the community in an authentic way.
So we've got artists, we've got chefs, we've got not chefs
cooking with our shoes, but in terms of the real creative types
that are out there and photography musicians all
wanting to align to what we do in that creative.
Space. How do you protect that?
Because because the moment like when something is authentically
cool, the moment you try and commercialise it, it almost
stops being cool. So how do you protect?
Because you you seem to have done it.
Yeah. So that that's what we keep
doing locally and also globally, making sure the partnerships are
right. Pardon me, you get emotional
talking about it. That's where the partnerships
that we have with these fashion houses is at a point that when
we've got them all knocking at our door, which we're really,
really grateful for. But it's the right, the right
collaborations at the right time, connecting with the right
audience through different what we call energy marketing.
So you'll see us pop up at a Paris Fashion Week or you'll see
us pop up at an underground club that that execution is very,
very different. And the focus that we have as
an, as a collective brand is, is heightened just to protect that.
So even ambassadors, artists that we that we work with are
all hand picked. Can you pinpoint as the global
organisation pinpoint like what was the one thing that
transferred it from sport to fashion?
Is there like a moment or is there a person or is it a like
how did it happen or you just it was so organic you just don't
even know? Yeah, so having it in Paris
Fashion Week way back when, you know, having the first Boris
Bejan fashion house from in in France.
OK, You know that one. Yeah.
Yeah, cross that. I honestly, when he said Boris,
I thought he was gonna say Boris Becker.
That's where my mind goes. Sure.
Tennis shoes. But I imagine he would have been
cool to work with. Sorry Boris.
Bajan. OK.
Boris Bajan and then you're seeing this product on the on
the on the runways in Paris, arguably the biggest Fashion
Week that's out there. And so all of a sudden press are
like, hang on a minute, what's this thing with really back to
your point, really aggressive grip pattern.
And then it sparked interest from there.
And then there were so many different iterations and
executions of traditionally trail product.
So still from his French heritage, it still trended out
of France first. I think that's a part of it,
too. Looking from the outside, the
fact that it has a French origin, it's kind of like, yeah,
that's cool. Yeah, inherently cool.
Sounds cool. But they do things with their
own style. We don't care what you think
sense about that place. What's the wildest one in this
sport? We'll get back to trailing a
tick, but what's the wildest one in sports style or sneakers that
you've in here in Australia that you've just gone?
Wow, Like I saw that on that person.
Or what celebrity like organically have you just gone?
So we we've made it. Yeah, we were going to present
to a retailer's managers conference.
This was 2 Super Bowls ago and so we were preparing.
That's how most normal people measure things based on Super
Bowls. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So. We were rehearsing our different
presentations as audio, right? And then all of a sudden it's
like, hang on a second, Solomon have just had this massive
moment with Rihanna wearing and that generation, the Yeah, an
iteration of Speed Cross with NM 6 Maisel Majella.
There you go. OK, keep going.
And so that, that execution was top secret, not even us, no, we
had no idea. And Salomon's staff globally,
this was kept really, really tight lipped because the, the,
the partnership that that Salomon kicked off was all held
in New York. And so this was a stylist going,
hey, we need this particular size.
It may you may see this in the next 24 hours.
And then all of a sudden, bang. Rihanna's wearing Salomon.
So that was a planned thing? Yep.
OK. With fashion stylist and.
Sure, sure, sure. I.
Remember it because I was like, well, I was watching, obviously
watching Super Bowl and then just screenshot.
It just started like throwing it around to people going oh God.
This is a moment. Yeah, because like, and as a
athlete in trail and I've had an like a reasonably long
association now with Salomon. We were kind of always just the
runners, right. And it went from one day where
the runners and you know, people like it was a great outdoor
technical brand to suddenly like I've told this story to both
you. I'm at I'm at work at a place
like Red Bull and all the 20 year olds are coming to me
wanting shoes. And I was like, oh, well,
something's going on here. Something's happened,
something's happened and something's changed and and it's
continued. It just hasn't stopped.
How do you and how does the brand we and we talk a lot on
the podcast about branding of different shoes and the and the
activations that they have and and what's coming next for
running and then influences, right.
How does can we ask talk a little bit about the way Salomon
approaches that area because in a market where the wrong
influencer can ruin a shoe or ruin a brand, not ruin a brand,
but a certainly, I guess stain it to a degree.
You'd said that they're handpicked the partnerships you
do go, but how do you avoid an influencer that might have
hundreds of thousands of followers but not be right for
you? How do you avoid a connection
being formed there? Can you avoid it?
Yeah. So we slightly linked obviously
to global plans and and master plans from a brand standpoint,
who do we, who do we want to be in five years?
What do we look like in 10 years?
What are we looking like next week?
And essentially our categories have their own plays.
So our categories of sports style are categories of winter
sport. Our category of outdoor or
hikers as we know it is of course Rd.
We know our place in Rd. We know our place is coming
from, you know, it's a new starter as a as a as a brand
that has evolved the technology that we're currently using in
road and there are some brilliant, there's brilliant
product out there, right? Yeah.
So how do we spark that and not so much just go, well, it looks
cool. So we'll then target our sports
style audience and get them to buy Rd.
That's not how to authentically do it.
So you know, is it partnering with the right level of
community that can unpack that for us and then we support them
to do that. Now a lot of the product that
we're making, let's take Rd as an example.
We've got our super shoe. You guys have, you guys have,
you know, running it. And then we've also got, you
know, different products for every day, which could be a park
run, it could be your local, your local, a shop run or even
even a run club that you go to. So what am I saying?
We're not factoring in a range of 30 odd different pairs of of
Rd shoes, but there's a culture that we're trying to just
facilitate and fuel. So you'll see a category from us
this year. It was on the back end of last
year, but a new category for us called gravel.
And gravel is all about the journey to and I love this
because this is a something of, hey, do you want to go and get
banana bread? Do you want to go and get a
gelati? Let's go and run 6K's and we're
going to that destination and we're going to have a great
journey along the way. You don't need what we wore
today in terms of packs and you know, the hydration and all
these different gels and things like that.
You're just going for the sport of being able to just set out or
no matter where you are and you've got product that you can
take you there for that, for that exercise and that journey.
And then we constantly see so many different executions and I
keep talking marketing terms, sorry, with executions.
Doesn't sound brilliant, does it?
We know. What you mean?
But we've we've got product out there that we're seeing in on
hikers and multi day and travel is a massive, massive space.
You know, you've got that suitcase and you want to be able
to take that pair of shoes. It's going to do it all provide
support and and that opportunity to go and explore and then see
different parts. So outdoor category continues to
be really strong for us and trail as as Courtney's pointed
out, and he's obviously experienced it first hand with
the evolution and and research and design that's going into
these into these products. There is not that'll, that'll do
everything for you and the elite level.
They want a fast or a supportive or a little bit of both.
And it's almost just like these constant little tweaks in in, in
design and product evolution that you guys are, you know, you
have to unpack. That's the hardest thing
sometimes is, and this wouldn't be just Solomon specific, but
there is just so we've talked about there's so many shoes now
and they're so particular to you know, how you run, who you are,
what you like. Do you like soft?
Do you like foot feel? Solomon like I know in the range
I got often I actually go what would I race in?
And I've got too, too many choices.
And it's it's like focusing on which one it is, you know, at
the time. And I think the ones, the shoes
you both ran in today and we've talked about, yeah.
So this S lab Genesis, you know, for me, that's such a
traditional Solomon shoe, but also with the injection of, you
know, what's new. So it still holds like really
holds like a feel of what you know about trail, but then
brings in some of those new technologies, but doesn't take
it too far because some of the time too well, I think you can
be, you know, overly innovative in some spaces and then you've
got to rein it back in. I think there's been a really
nice consistent approach to how Solomon do it.
So what I'm always looking forward to is like, well,
putting on that new rubber, trying the next one, like how's
it going to feel? And I've said to Liam a few
times, like I've often been able to go the first time I try on a
shoe. I know just when I try it on, I
no longer can do that though, because technology's come so
far. Now some of these rubbers and
some of the things going into, you know, Solomon shoes, but all
shoes are actually starting to really you might need to run in
them a few times before it actually, you know, beds in a
little bit or some of those shoes are just like put like
those isolated Genesis are just you'd run you're in today.
Yeah, which is brilliant with a shoe that you're not going to
have to worry. About so it's and my feet have
pulled up amazing and that was the second time I've run in the
genesis yeah it's just a really easy shoe to run in out of the
box good good. I'm starting to use now I'm
starting you've, you've indoctrinated me now starting to
use words like foot, feel and all that, sort of.
Stuff, and I think that's technical terms, that's just
they are the lame in terms of if you sit in a proper and this is
what I think I would love to see more in the shoe market and
people talking about shoes is you can sit down and listen to
the technical of all that, Like everyone's got their marketing
jazz around what rubber it is, what it is, but in the end you
want to hear like, how can you describe it in real world feel?
So like what's this shoe going to do for me?
So responses are like a word you often hear thrown around in a
whole range of things, but what's what is responsive?
You know, like, am I going to actually run out there?
And it's like it's a mid, It's actually quite a mid soft feel,
but it also gives you plenty of spring back.
That's a real world feel that you can give to someone.
So that's something I know like working with you guys.
I'd love to kind of work on more is like, how do we actually just
explain to you this is what it feels like?
You put it on. This is what you go and run.
I'm not gonna try it feels. I'm not gonna try and sell you
on that. Some of the, you know, adding
all these things together is going to give you a 20% more
thing. It's actually this is in the
real world. You're going to feel this.
And brand brands are doing this every campaign that you see from
multiple different brands. The, the, the psychology and the
consumer behaviour is all around that initial foot feel in the
shop, putting that on and oh, it's comfortable.
Oh, it feels quick. Remember when we were kids,
you'd get a new pair of shoes and you'd race your siblings or
you know how fast you could run up and down the corridor?
Oh, these shoes are amazing. Yeah.
So essentially where tests are super important.
So there's a massive, massive focus on getting to store,
trying this this pair of shoes on, having the opportunity.
Brands are doing this left, right and centre, which is great
for the for the runners because you get an opportunity to get
out there, engage with the outdoors, have a chat, get a
coffee after. And then also you've tested
something and then you're ready to make your purchase.
So there's a massive focus around comfort, support.
I feel supportive, it feels comfortable.
So these are the campaigns that you'll see from multiple brands.
Why do you reckon as you represent a brand that has
probably a market leading philosophy around keeping things
cool, why is running cool? What what is what has changed in
the last two years? We're talking about Australia
here, but it probably you could you could broaden it out to
globally what has changed in the last two years to make running
Cool I. Think it's probably that the
heightened, the heightened level of involvement and community
that we want to feel. And so, you know, you look at a
Monday through to Sunday, there's long runs, there's short
runs, there's coffee runs, there's all.
So it's all built around what we want to feel as a consumer and
also as a community sharing similar experiences.
You and I today, as I said, right from the get go and then,
you know, halfway out, we're having a bit of a laugh and
having a joke around and, and sharing in that is exactly what
a trail running's about. But again, back to the
community. How many people did you know?
Of course you passed heaps of people, but in.
Terms of. Just not one of them.
Yeah, I lost count. But in terms of the
conversation, how you're looking great, you're looking strong.
They didn't have to do that. Yeah, they didn't have to do
that. Yeah.
So you're getting that on trail. You're getting on road and I
think there's a there's a heightened level of importance.
Society needs that. I think it's changed, yeah.
I think we care about that more than we did maybe in the past
decade. Yeah, I think we need to as
well, which is, which is cool because you're starting to see
that and go, yeah, we, this is important.
I am going to wake up super early and go to my community.
It's the same way people buy sports memberships as well, you
know, rolling up and you know, depends on how you tend to
performing, but you roll up that's.
Really. I haven't actually heard that
comparison to football teams previously cause court.
We've had lots of chats about why running is booming like it
is, but that notion of now people viewing their run clubs
akin to if they do or previously signed up to football clubs.
That's a really interesting comparison actually.
The the membership cost is lower.
It's definitely. Lower, there's an immediate
reward, you're guaranteed. There's no chance of a loss
really, unlike a football team where you might come back from
the game with a loss. Every time you go to be a part
of that club, you win because you no one ever regrets a run
really. Everyone's wearing a scarf
that's the same colour as yours, or a beanie or whatever it is.
This is good. This is good.
Let's keep on doing these. Like an identity.
Yeah, and you're right, because when if you go to the footy,
it's a scarf, it's a beanie, it's whatever, it's a flag.
You go to run club, the literal fact that they're wearing
runners on their their feet. And the number one question you
get at all the run clubs, what's your next race?
What are you training for? And we get to share in that
which is, which is. Really cool, Inherent
aspirational. And I did the backyard, you
know, my my run club that I run with on a Wednesday.
Everyone there was like, the next time they saw me.
How did it go? Yeah, yeah.
Followed me on. Strava was like, how's that?
How did that, you know, how did you get through that?
What was the toughest part? And. 1st 1st 3 KS of today's run
because I just flicked the message to my run group back in
Sydney and said oh hey I'm about to start this.
So the first 3 messages of first three KS the run.
My phone was just pinging because messages coming back
from everyone saying oh good luck looks like good weather.
Well, what's the elevation? Dah dah dah investment?
Do you think they're like extra interested in the fact you're
doing something that was, that is so much unique, but like
quite an interesting race, different race?
Different experience. In a different experience first.
Courtney and I have talked about this a lot as well, Pete, this
idea that what makes a race, well, trying to find that secret
source to why certain races win and are the big sellouts and
others aren't. One of the things we've landed
on is that idea of an experience.
Is this going to give me an experience that's not available
to everybody that I haven't had previously?
All that sort of stuff. So today that's an experience
that I don't think, I think maybe one other member of my run
group has done the race previously.
And so the fact that I was about to do something that most of
them haven't done and, and to compare it, if we'd compared it
to the Canberra Marathon, which a lot of them have done, that
becomes less about the race, more about the time.
Yeah, right. No one has asked me what time
did you do today? They're just saying good luck
with the race, good luck with the run, Enjoy that run.
And, and absolute kudos to the family and support teams that
we, that, you know, we all have linked with us, not from an
athlete perspective, but in terms of I, I know there were
families out there today, that last night they sat down with
the sheet and said, OK, I need you to be here at this time.
And I need the blue bottle. I need you to be here at this
time. And I'm going to take a packet
of chips off you. I'm going to need you.
And so they're also now involved and invested in this, in getting
their person and their community over the line.
Yeah, good trial, good trial runs.
And this is what I've always like from a running perspective,
when you want to get away from just focusing on times, good
trail runs are an adventure. That's what makes a good trail
runner race is an adventure so that you can walk away going.
You'll have things that you remember from today that you,
you know, you wouldn't normally see or normally face on your
normal run. It's a way.
To run in 3° weather. That's true as QLD.
I'm loving sitting here rugged up in in the jump.
But even like the the boulder field you would have run across
today, like I can't think of anywhere unless you run around
the headland at Burleigh Heads. You would rock hop like that.
You wouldn't. You would never.
Face that, I've never done that before.
Like literally a mountain of small rock.
And it was an amazing moment. Yeah, you're right.
So there's those things and that's why, I mean, I'm all in
for both it's road and trail, but I always keep coming back to
trail when it comes to experiences where you can go.
And if I think of like some of the trail, I mean, that's why
today I wanted to run today. And I've said to Pete for years,
because I look at trail runs as like what's going to be the
point of difference that I haven't experienced before?
Is it like it's a proper mountain trail race like it's
today? Is it like this is the most
technical? So there's another race down in
Tasi called Triple Tops. I think it's Mount Rowland.
Someone from Tasmania is going to correct me on that.
I think it's Mount Rowland. But again, I've heard the reason
I'm interested in that one. I have no idea of the course,
but I've been told that's the most technical run you're going
to face and it's like proper mounted.
So I've always had that one in the thing.
And then, you know, there's some up in North Queensland or
country runs or sand runs, but it's always got that little
point of difference. And here at Kinadi, I think
that's one that's always, I've gone like that makes sense to me
as to have like, why isn't it bigger?
Why isn't it a bigger run down here?
I mean, it is a big run. Don't get me wrong.
It's a. Big run.
I don't know if I want too many more people running around me
today. Frank and Courtney.
I thought it was a great run. No, I mean.
That in a, in a positive way, I'm like, what, why?
What's stopping more people wanting to come that experience,
having that experience in trail versus, you know, we're selling
out of a marathon tomorrow. Every every major marathon
selling out where you know, how do we how do we how do we
convert some more people over to come and try you want to.
Sit down with the brains trust at Salomon.
Yeah, we have a goal to convert the participants of the Gold
Coast Marathon this year, as many as possible, to a trial
event in the next 12 months. How would you do it?
What would be step one? Yeah.
So we're we're doing this. This is exactly the sort of
thinking and processes that we're trying to put in from a
long term play. We think it's excursions, we
think it's getting people out of their out of their normal
routine. You know, even if you wanna, if
you need to borrow a pack for this particular, we've got that
covered. So taking out all of the
obstacles that you may face, that's a long way.
How am I gonna climb that? Well, you've got food, you've
got water, you've got a base level of fitness.
It's gonna be okay. And look who's around you.
So creating they're not going to be everyday because you
potentially have to travel to these locations.
There's inclines that you don't have in the cities, whereas, you
know, we can out out of the a door at home and you're, you're
running around Melbourne, running around Sydney and and
Gold Coast. So I, I think that bringing that
as an excursion and back to Courtney's point is an
experience that you can share with him.
If it's taking a bus load of people up into the Dandenongs or
out into different parts, been able to share in that and
there's every step of the way is thought out for you.
I think that's the best way to introduce trail and the concept
of this community to Roadrunners.
Can I you, you heard of, there was a little, there was well,
because a little brain flicker there because and I, there's a,
there's another brand that has a certain very notable runner who
runs for them and he's a recreational runner.
I don't know if you saw it, but recently he had a very big
participated run in Sydney. And then the surprise he had for
the runners on the morning was, hey, if you can, if you've got
the time, we're going to the airport, we're going to
Kosciuska today. Did you see this?
Do you know what I'm talking about?
No, I have no idea. What you're talking about?
I think I'd seen something, yeah.
Yeah, Ned Brockman. Yeah right.
Didn't basically organised a meet up in Sydney.
Try running organised and made up in Sydney to go for just a
run around Centennial Park. And then the surprise was who
can come to Kosciusko with me this morning And literally they
took a plane from that morning from they took them from the
eastern suburbs of Sydney to the airport.
They put them on a plane. They went and ran up Kosciusko.
Now that is I look at that and I go is exactly what you're
talking about and the opportunity there.
Now that's an extreme version of it.
But. I can see Salomon doing some
really cool stuff in that space. We're taking people on these
excursions. It's excursions, it's surprising
delight and it's not just not there's not a gift with
purchase. That's not that's not what this
is going to be. So again, going and seeing some
really amazing places, learning something.
If you can learn something about a particular part of the world,
that's kind of cool too, because we're always thirsty for this
knowledge and understanding of where we are.
We we we had smoke ceremonies and welcome to countries.
It's amazing this morning. And the knowledge and, and the
history of Mount Wellington where you shared in that and
it's something you can take home and be like, OK, that was adding
to my to my memory bank and. It was a really special part of
this morning, actually. I thought about it about halfway
up as I was rolling up. I thought about that smoke and I
can I still kind of had the smell of it in my nostrils a bit
halfway up and I was like, it was a really cool feeling just
on staying with it because we have seen other brands try this
create this idea of 1/3 space. I don't you you, you're a
marketing guru. You'll be aware of it.
But if this is the first time you're hearing this idea, it's
people have their home, people have their place of work.
These, some of these brands are attempting to create a third
space so people do exist in. You've just talked a bit about
the idea of excursions as a way to bridge people from road to
trail. 1/3 space is something that Salomon look at.
Where, yeah, it's a, it's a good point because essentially how do
you bring so many different categories, diverse categories?
They're outdoor categories, but you've got to be super authentic
to and I don't know, it's again a buzzword, but in terms of if
you're talking to a winter sport audience, you need to talk to
them with a winter sport language and tone.
Yeah. You know.
But you can't fake it. Why roll up to winter sport
meetings? It's the first time that you
actually can swear with a customer.
I'm like, whoa, I was taken back.
We can't say that. We can't.
And it's like, and they were over the moon and you had to be
here and you had and you continued partying on with them,
which blew my mind. But then then you're having high
performance conversations with Ron, specialty doors and
partners. So how do you create the third
space? Or could you or would you, is
it, I mean it doesn't, it sounds like your answer there is it
doesn't necessarily something that would work for the brand.
Yeah, brands, I think brands like Rafa nailed it early days
with Clubhouse and then creating that zone.
I mean, two years ago, I think it was caught.
And remind me, we did the Salomon Clubhouse in Katoomba.
That's right. And that was a moment where we
had Q&A's with athletes. We had yoga sessions in the
morning and stretch sessions before you would go out and you
know, compete. There was coffee, there was good
food throughout the whole piece and that was sitting there going
this adventure that they're that they're on.
And no matter the distance that we're going to do, they could
come and have a safe and also knowledgeable experience with
us. Yeah.
And then walk away. There was no, you need to buy
this today or you need to do that.
That's fine. We want to establish long
ongoing sustainable relationships with our with our
communities. So, yeah, being authentic in
certain spheres is exactly the way to go about it, which makes
our, our, you know, our next progression in, in retail really
hard as well because we've got to make sure that, you know,
our, our stores speak to the audience the way they want to be
spoken to. Instead of, oh, they've just put
up a shop here and, and they're going to try and flog product.
It's like, what do you feel when you come into this store being
able to share, hey, I just ran this or hey, I'm going to go and
ski this field or whatever it may be, or hike this mountain,
or I'm a photographer, videographer, whatever I may be.
I use this product and I think I'm cool.
Yeah, it's crazy to think, oh, I know, I know there's clothing
and other and other goods, but the fact it's shoes takes now
out of it just for a tick. But like it's the fact that it's
just shoes and then you're talking about that broad and
that many categories. It's nearly like you're a, you
know, you take, you've got shoes, but like you're not
really just trying to sell shoes anymore.
It's like you've got all of these different categories.
You've got to sell with one product or multiple products,
but you're trying to like, think about it as if you are, OK, I've
got kids, not kids, but you know, teenagers to sell to.
I've got the trail runners to sell to.
I've got the road, then I've got gravel, then I've got, you know,
my travel shoes, everything. And that must be like for having
shoes only it must be a big ask for the like a marketing team,
especially that broad to go down that route.
Yeah. So I think we're really, really
lucky in Australia and I think what from what we've learnt from
a retail perspective and retail partners that are existing out
there for us, they've got their communities absolutely dulled.
So how do we fuel that and and plug into what they're doing?
So, you know, I think of some of our partners that we've got that
they're absolutely brilliant in connecting with that audience
again, authentically is it in the music scene.
So we've seen that sneaker generalist tier of consumer
connecting with music. We see fashion in these smaller,
we call them Tier 0, Tier 1 advanced accounts that they've
got product in there that talks directly to fashion audience
designers and and runway. So to answer your question,
yeah, it's, it's directly through a vehicle that exists
because if we were to try and you know, say, hey, this is now
where you need to come and this is where and where cool it's, it
doesn't resonate. And I think that's kind of cool
too as well, because there's an onus on brands to deliver
product and experiences culture to the end user.
Yeah, which is exciting. It's so the, the word cool has
bubbled along underneath the surface of all this.
And I think it's again, I, I am, I think back to the surf brands
of the sort of the 2000s, late 90s.
Those brands were cool and they're not cool anymore, you
know, and the some of them still have a, the level of it, but a
lot of them aren't cool brands anymore.
And for Salomon to be maintaining that it, you know,
to be maintaining its level of cool is a testament to the work
obviously you guys are doing here and, and the work that
everyone is doing with the brand internationally.
And we spoke a bit about that a bit earlier on to talk about
today's run a bit more. How are your legs right now?
Because mine are cooked. They're OK.
I think tomorrow will be interesting.
OK, Lucky. We had a big pie and a sausage
roll to, to, to refuel. But no, I think, yeah, you'll
feel it tomorrow. Yeah.
I think that that that climb was significant.
The downhill too. You'll get that dorms that
delayed muscle onset. What?
What have you got next? Running.
Was it dorms DO? Yeah.
Delayed onset muscle soreness. Yeah, that's the one.
It's all right. You'll get there.
He's gonna add it. Yeah, I know.
I mean. Oh yeah.
What's So What's coming next for you running?
What next is Goldie? I reckon, yeah.
Oh, that's mine. There is something in common
there there. Is PV Liam 2 point O #2?
It's 1 zip at the moment. You came to my home ground.
I think I've got to come up to your home.
Ground What's your goal for goalie?
As close to three as possible. Yeah, as close to three as.
Possible. Do you?
Do you want to hear the why we can't we?
No, I can't tell the story right now.
You can't tell it yet. No, there's a surprise coming
for people on Wednesday. No, not Wednesday, not this
Wednesday, next Wednesday. That surprise is coming.
I am shooting for Sub 3A Golden Marathon.
That is my goal. I started that goal at the start
of this year. You did and I'm going to keep
that goal. That is my goal for the Gold
Coast Marathon this year. We're jumping on board.
We've got the amazing Bonita Willis who's gonna be coaching
us. Lace Up Running is her coaching
company and she has taken me under her very experienced wing,
so I've got a bit of a cheat coat.
Who's your coach? So that's no excuses, Liam
saying over here. Yeah.
Where's your programme? Interesting.
I want to ask genuinely, where's your programme coming from?
Programme has come from meetings and so you're looking at me
going what the hell is he talking about?
South meetings? Yeah.
So I'm super fortunate enough to have an athlete team being able
to give me all the tips and tricks.
They're like, hey, let's go for a run here, let's do this.
And what's your programme like? Back to your point, I'm like,
well, I'm in your hands. Is it?
Is it just get KS in legs is, you know, for the backyard.
It was really tough to train for 100 KS.
Yeah. So it was get us, go hard, go
fast, go as long as you possibly can in your leader.
And then I was pretty comfortable with the 100 days at
Backyard. So I don't have a defined plan,
but when I said meetings, it's catching up with these guys and
say hey, I'm in Queensland, hey, you're in it.
Was it 2 weeks ago? Yeah, we went we're.
Saying these guys, he's never asked me for the training.
He's asked me for plenty of other but not the training
advice so. Breakfast Partner.
In yes, because. You're injured.
OK, this is this is exciting. So it's Lee MVP 2.0 I'm looking.
For what kind of what kind of like you did a back out the
other day 100K what kind of I'm interested.
Told everyone at work it was 104 which it was a. 104 kilometres
you knocked out now, but how many?
Give or take kilometres, you're knocking out a week then to
manage that. Yeah, at the minute and with
work as well and there's a bit of travel coming up.
So just trying as hard as I possibly can around the 60 to 70
KS. I know that sounds, you know on
the lower end, but again, it just KS in.
As someone who's doing 50 to 60 at the moment, so mine is on the
lower end. No, but for both of you, this
is. This is coming to be a common
thread now. I think there's this notion out
there that everyone runs more KS than they really do.
Maybe it's like you always tell. This is the biggest week I've
ever now. How many KS you run now?
100 K, but I've done that once in the last six months.
I think when you start to look, you're right, when you've got
travel and you're working and all these other things, I reckon
you're talking that 50 to 60 KS. It's like it's a good amount of
KS and obviously you can go and run 104 out of it.
Achievable might be something is the other, is the other number
too. They're going to be close court.
At Gold Coast, I think, I think Liam, Liam obviously needs to
get his finger out of his backside well today.
Well, I know I got beat up today because this buddy, it was 1600
metres of elevation. That's more than I think I've
done. What?
What I can say is I know Liam's going to be prepared amazingly
because like we talked about the coach Beneda that he's got, like
if I if someone asked me who you go to for a marathon to train at
that level or any level actually, I'd be like 100% just
go and see Beneda. She's done it.
But she's also got a lot of, and this is what we're learning.
You're going to learn off her is there's a lot of background
there of understanding first time run it like the whole scale
of runners. So you are you you're getting to
awards a level now where you know you'll you'll start a
knockout kilometres, you're doing 100 KS and all that.
You're asking elite runners for that information.
It kind of makes a bit of sense if you're going out for your
first marathon or if you were like today was your first time
you've ever run 25K in a trail race.
It's probably different information.
You've got a source, and I don't always say like you can find
that information out on the web, but you always better go and ask
someone who's actually done that before, has the expertise in it.
I love the just then. I love that you said.
One thing I know is Liam will be ready because of his coach.
Nothing to do with him, because of his coach.
That's great. You've been training
consistently, but I also know Pete over here has been doing,
you know, he's he's looking slim, ready fit and compared to
two years ago when I saw him run and I'll tell you what, he's
he's on the up. Are we running that bit back?
Running the bet back Yeah, the bet that you the.
Bet that I made up with today that you didn't shake on running
that back. You're still.
Trying to become a Solomon athlete over here.
Man, I want to get involved with this.
I actually, no, you don't want me being one of your athletes.
I might ruin the corners. I might be the the thing that
finally made exclusion. I could.
I tell you what, if you want to do, if you ever were interested
in doing a Salomon excursion, I know you've got your man
Courtney on the Gold Coast as well, but I love the idea of
those Salomon excursions. That's cool.
That is again, it's that idea of there's nothing are my kids that
my oldest daughter is at that excursion stage now at school.
You think back to excursions as a kid, it was the greatest day.
If you knew it was an excursion day at school, regardless of
where you were going, it it was a it gave you a sense of
excitement. And I think it's that we always
talk about rediscovering the childlikeness of of an adulthood
and and finding the fun again. And the idea of going on adult
excursions instantly takes you back so.
And I'm spoiling some surprises here as well.
We'll have an excursion this year where it's going to include
a permission slip. I love it.
I love.
It is that an exclusive we. Just, I love it.
Of course it has to have a permission slip.
It has to. I signed those on the weekly at
the moment for my daughter and yeah, that's all part of it.
If you had one place in Australia to go and run, Pete,
where would it be? Talking about skin, Obviously
don't tell me the excursion spot, but like where?
Where did you know you'll start? You've got right into trails.
You're in a business that obviously gets out there and
explores the outdoors. Where do you want to go and run
in Australia if you could? Where do I want to, I actually
want to do the Red Centre. Yep, yeah, I think from what
I've learnt from you and, and and seen from from other team
members as well, I think, yeah, the Red Centre's got heaps to
offer. What about if I gave the
opportunity to travel globally to do a run?
Italy was pretty special, right? That race in Milan and running
around that lake and the vibe just that the community stopping
for this particular race, we're seeing absolute whippets up with
poles you're flying through uphill, so you and I would have
seen what so you know, get. The pastor boys, back to you.
The pastor boys, yeah. 2.0 you reckon?
It's a it's a high bar. He gets to travel to Annecy
multiple times a year and and go running in the mountains.
Yeah, it's a beautiful, beautiful place, beautiful part
of the world. Yeah, I want to hear more about
your time in that part of the world on a later podcast too,
please. Yeah, well this is the story is
I obviously my travelling days when I lived, I lived 50
kilometres on a different lake down at ex Lebayne.
We'd go to Annecy just on our Friday day off to kind of get
in, go and you know, grab some crepes and coffee and whatever
and just have a day off. I had no idea Solomon existed at
that stage. I was never around snow.
I hadn't got into trail at that stage.
Like you know, I probably knew the brand but I had no idea
existed. The crazy thing is, since I've
been running for them, I've never been back to that area.
Wink, wink. I'll FaceTime you, wink wink.
Yeah, yeah, I hear Pete plenty of times going over there.
That was the perfect response from Pete.
Courtney's hinting at maybe getting to go over there.
Pete has offered to FaceTime. Perfect response.
Yeah, you know the distance around the lake, No 42 KS.
You're kidding. No.
Do they do a marathon? Of course.
Of course they do. Yeah.
When's that happening? I think it's in September.
Sounds like a perfect time for an excursion.
Excursion. Have you got a permission?
It's all coming to Pete what obviously like we we've been
talking a lot about today at Kanani's being as like it's a
unique. Well done.
Very special presenting this event.
It was incredible. And it's a like I'm saying this,
I do think I want to run it. I haven't got to run it yet.
I've run up there, but not in the race.
What else have we got on the year?
Like what else can we look forward to with the Golden Trail
Series? So Golden Trail is now ranked
round two, run one and done and we will go to Newcastle now for
the coastal ascent at the beginning of June.
Yes, sand in that one. I ran that last year.
Sand in that one with whales in the background breaching, which
was just spectacular. What a start to erase you
missed. That I was trying to, yeah.
He didn't look right. He sure he had to look wrong.
He had to. He had to look wrong.
And then the finals at BTU Brisbane Trail Ultra you ran.
Up and down neck of the woods. Yeah, that's right.
So we'll be there the end of June.
And then, as you pointed out earlier, that the top three
winners get tickets with the top men and women open age getting
paid for trips to go and race the world's best at the World
Series final. Two, BC where's, where do they?
And we don't know where. It's somewhere in Europe, but we
don't know. Where's the past few ones been?
They've been. It was Austria, there's been as
a Gamma and yeah, we'll wait and see where.
Amazing. So this is in it's yeah,
amazing. Pete, thank you so much for the
time because I the opportunity to come down here to Hobart,
this incredible little city that has this amazing playground for
trail runners right there. Now.
We were talking, I was talking to the MC of the race this
morning and he was talking that the overseas visitors come here
and there's this idea of a what is it a vertical KAV one KA VK
and some of these Europeans have to drive and we'll have to drive
a long way to get to a VK. Hobart has won on its doorstep
here with Mount Wellington. So for you guys to have
presented this, to have got us down here to be a part of it as
well was amazing. It's truly we talk about
experiences and excursions and this has been an amazing
experience and a grown up excursion which I've thoroughly
enjoyed. Didn't enjoy the L on my record,
the loss that I've chalked up to to Pete, but Gold Coast it's.
Only one thing to do then, Liam. Get out there, run a 259 and
give Pete one of those. Give me a hug.
I'll give you a hug. Exactly.
Well, that's our traditional. Well, maybe that's the next time
we talk. So, alright, amazing.
Thank you. Appreciate it.