HOKA Launches the Second of Its ‘Fly Guides’ Series for the Hackney Half Marathon.

HOKA and Ogilvy UK unveil the second phase of their European Fly Guides campaign, carefully curated recommendations of the best things for runners to do and see in major cities across Europe.

The new guide by the leading shoes and apparel brand built by runners for runners, is aimed squarely at its ever-growing community of fans. The guides provide the inside track on places to run and information on all that matters for runners and running culture.

HOKA launched the series with a running guide of Rotterdam, which debuted in the Netherlands in conjunction with the 2023 NN Rotterdam Marathon. Now the respected race brand turns its eyes toward London and the Hackney Half Marathon. Targeted at those visiting the Hackney borough for the race, it includes recommendations for lesser-known running routes, running playlists featuring Hackney artists, sightseeing attractions, healthy eateries (and places to load carbs) and importantly houses the collaboration with the ‘Your Friendly Runners’ club – who are co-creating The Fly Guide: Hackney.

“At HOKA we are always trying to strike the balance between feeling local and having a broader appeal and relevance. We asked Ogilvy UK to help us create a replicable cross channel campaign that focused on the humans at the heart of our brand and that helped us bring to life our brand platform Fly Human Fly. Their solution, the HOKA Fly Guide, has been a brilliant way to bring to life our local events and communities, making them relevant and interesting to people all over Europe. The flexibility of the campaign has been crucial, as each event or city has their own challenges that we need to work around, and different elements that make them wonderful that we want to show off!” said Jasmine Absolon, digital marketing manager - brand. 

“The EU Hoka community and the runners it serves is something we have worked hard to build authentically. ‘Fly Guides’ represents a meaningful jump from us just talking to our Instagram community into it being a place to learn and ultimately a piece of utility for Runners of all abilities. Importantly the series allows us to paint the picture of running in key cities across Europe through the experiences of the people that run in them and the motivations for running there – whether it be a pile of carbs at the end or notable art to look at on the way. The guides are a great way to mix Strava, Instagram and a real-life experience all together – basically all the bits that runners love!” says Chris Wall, head of creative, Ogilvy UK. 

The innovative guide demonstrates HOKA's commitment to providing an enjoyable experience for all runners — and can be found both on HOKA.com and on the brand’s European Instagram page.

HOKA's sponsorship of the Hackney Half Marathon and the creation of The Fly Guide reflect their ongoing commitment to promoting an active lifestyle whilst supporting running communities large and small. To bring the spirit of Hackney to life, for the day of the event HOKA will be placing outdoor work around the local area and has commissioned a mural to be displayed in Hackney Wick – celebrating the Half Marathon.