Dear Friends of Tracksmith,

I’m writing this from my home outside of Boston where I’ve been working since we made the decision to transition the team away from the Trackhouse. I imagine you’re going through the same upheaval and uncertainty while trying to find a new rhythm to your daily routine. And I know you’ve received many communications from brands this past week, but I did want to share what’s on my mind and thank you for your continued support. We should continue operating without major interruption, but we have seen some changes to our business plans and expect more in the coming weeks. Our goal is to be as transparent and communicative as possible, and we’re open to your feedback and support.

In running you learn not to get too comfortable: as soon as you think everything is going according to plan, something inevitably arises that brings you down to earth - a cold sets you back a few workouts, bad weather makes a race more difficult, an injury knocks you out. The more rigid you are, the more disastrous these setbacks will feel. The best runners are adaptable.

As a young company, I’m now asking my 20 employees to adopt this mindset as we confront the unexpected. In January, when the first reports related to COVID-19 emerged, we had to make adjustments to our supply chain and timing. By February it started to have a bigger impact on our business as the Tokyo Marathon was canceled and we saw more delays in our production. By March the reality set in that this was no longer “business as usual” - the Boston and London Marathons were postponed, the Trackhouse closed, and we started running the company from our homes.

Despite these challenges we’re heartened by the fact that running remains (for most of us) a much-needed respite from the challenges of social distancing. So it’s only with a great deal of empathy and consideration that we will move forward doing what we do best - sharing our love for running and helping others find deeper meaning in the sport we cherish.

In an effort to better support you during this period we’ve increased our customer support team by adding our retail staff after we closed the store. If you have any questions or need help adapting your training schedule because of a canceled race, please reach out to them via phone (+1 781-235-0027) or web chat 9am-5pm EST Monday through Friday. And you can always email support@tracksmith.com and they will respond quickly. We’re also creating more content intended to inspire, entertain and educate. We’re posting more entries to our Journal and on our Instagram Stories we’ve started the Culture Club - a selection of running-related books, movies and podcasts to help pass the time.

I’ll leave you with one thing I’ve been thinking about on my (solo) morning runs as I grapple with how to approach my own running and running this business. Now more than ever we need consistency. It might mean getting creative, finding new ways to do old things. But we must maintain our fitness. Why? Because things will return to normal. We will meet at the Trackhouse for a Sunday long run. We will gather in London for a shakeout run. We will embrace after setting a new personal best. And so when things do normalize, let’s be ready to pick up right where we left off.

Until then, stay safe. And thank you for being a part of this community.

Matt Taylor
Founder and CEO