UP THERE AND RUNNING: INSIDE THE STANDARDX COLLAB
Up There Athletics wants to take you places. The Melbourne-based brand blends high-performance sneakers with a community-first approach. To them, running isn’t just a way to move, it’s a movement. It’s how they’ll take you to the best of the city’s culture and design. From sneakers to marathons, they’re rewriting the playbook on what it means to lace up and hit the ground running.
In the lead-up to the Melbourne Marathon, Up There Athletics and The StandardX, Melbourne transformed The Box into a vibrant shop-in-shop event. Designed for runners gearing up for race day, the space offered essentials like fresh socks, shorts, singlets, hydration gear, energy bars, and bottles. The lead-up also featured a community shop run, wrapping up at Bang with well-deserved espressos and breakfast. Here, we sit down with the Up There Athletics team and talk shop.
How’d you go from sneakers to running?
The adjacencies have always been there from the product side. We’re interested in sneakers as much for the functional history as the culture. Seeing the progression of technological advancements in the recent time, from knitted uppers to carbon and everything in between, has been just as exciting as air being put into the midsole, and we wanted to get involved.
We also became increasingly aware of how many of our friends, who shop with us at Up There Athletics, had started running and getting involved with run clubs. In the end, we couldn’t not.
True, the running scene has become very in vogue. What’s going on?
Running has always been there. But during COVID, it became a lifeline—an accessible way to socialize and stay active. Since then, we’ve seen big brands push boundaries with innovation, alongside a wave of community-oriented brands popping up globally. Most importantly, running is accessible. It doesn’t take much time or gear, it’s a great way to meet people, and anyone can get started.
How do you build community?
We pride ourselves in being as active within the community as frequently and authentically as we can. We like to keep things light, fun, and interesting.
What have been some of the best events you’ve hosted?
Coming from the fashion side of the ball, the running scene has been refreshing. It’s been really nice getting involved in a business that promotes health and wellbeing. Interacting with our community at the events we’ve put together has been amazing.
You and your team travel a lot for work. What makes a great hotel?
We’re always drawn to hotels that have great design, and more importantly a great breakfast. No where does breakfast quite like we do in Australia
What can we expect from Up There Athletics in 2025?
More! We love what we do from start to finish, especially community-orientated activations.
What is it about running that appeals to you?
The community, the challenge, and—of course—the shoes. I wasn’t a runner growing up, but the more I do it, the more I enjoy it. It’s a continuous combination of the three things mentioned above that keeps me coming back for more.
How was the marathon this year?
This year’s Melbourne Marathon was the biggest yet. Perfect conditions.
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Hard to go past visiting Nike’s HQ in Portland. I’d also love to get back to Scotland and Ireland and hit the roads there. A touch too much Whiskey was had on my last visit to contemplate running.
What is the X-factor that sets Up There Athletics apart?
The effort we put into the curation of brands, the knowledge and experience of our staff and our authentic connection to the community. Simple as that.
Stay tuned for what’s next from Up There Athletics. Whether you’re lacing up for your first run or adding another marathon to your list, they’ve got the shoes—and the community—to keep you going.
