Vivek Gowri (@vivekgowri ) is a mechanical engineer by training, product manager by day, and (the new) owner of San Francisco Running Company by the rest of it.
A serious trail runner (he’s competing at Broken Arrow next month) with a deep affinity for gear, his pursuit into specialty retail is as much about bringing innovative merchandise to the forefront as it is engineering a new kind of community out on the trails.
We chatted with Vivek about hardware, innovation, and his fresh chapter at @sfrunco . Full story on Courier Relay — link in bio.
📷: @b3n.co
We started with a simple mission: bring cushioning and breathability into one system. To eliminate the heat and moisture that builds up around your foot, and pull airflow into and through the cushion itself.
A sock engineered to feel ultra lightweight (we won’t be offended if you forget about it completely while you run or cycle), with enough cushioning to provide a little plush support (because your socks shouldn’t feel like pantyhose).
The Hifi Sock- it’s a favorite for a reason.
#wearcouriersocks
📷: @b3n.co
In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re sharing the story of Margaret Gibson (@margaretgibsonvt ) , a 40-year comeback that has her, at 64, winning more medals on the track than her college athlete days.
This one is for the moms in the thick of it. The one who hasn’t left the couch in weeks thanks to first trimester nausea. The mom of young kids whose fitness routine feels forever fleeting, derailed by sick days and soccer practices. The mother of teenagers who is ready for a renaissance of her own.
For all the moms holding the quiet fear that their strongest athletic chapter has already happened…
Margaret would tell you otherwise. Full story on Courier Relay— link in bio.
Happy Mother’s Day to all those who celebrate ❤️
📷: @wykoff.lol
She’s the one with a 6-month Peloton streak, a 5am alarm she’s never once snoozed, and a training block that somehow survives school holidays, sick days, and everything else life decides to schedule on top of it.
She packs lunches with love, remembers where your keys are, and has bought every single member of this household their socks (including you).
Trust us* when we say, this type of mom isn’t looking for another candle. Show her you actually paid attention with something that feels like a luxury but gets used like an essential, delivered in a pretty box, best served alongside an iced coffee.
Shop Mother’s Day Gift Sets and show your appreciation for all of her hard yards.
*Why trust us? Two of us co-founders of Courier are moms/mums who would take a fresh pair of performance socks over a bouquet of roses any day of the week.
Zach Osborne spent sixteen years professionally racing Supercross and Motocross- stadium-built tracks and open terrain, gate drops and consequence, one of the most physically demanding sports in the world.
He did it the long way, coming up short, moving to Europe with his young family in tow, grinding for years while nobody was watching, all to eventually become a four-time champion and retire with the number one plate.
Since retiring, he’s traded the gate drop for the start line. He’s past dabbling and now competing in road, gravel, and cross-country cycling, with the same intensity that got him to the top on the moto.
Years ago, he told our co-founder something he lives by: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Full story on Courier Relay. Link in bio.
📷: @blakekeith_
A few months back, we quietly dropped the RangeCap. We didn’t make a big deal about it, despite all of us privately believing we’d somehow created the Holy Grail of run-meets-lifestyle hats. Call it nerves, call it humble, or call it too focused on socks.
You found it anyway and sold us out lickety-split. The silhouette feels like the best dad hat you’ve ever stolen from the father figure in your life, and the technical components (breathable, antimicrobial lining, quick-pull tab, machine washable) means it is built for the run, the tennis match, the casual round of golf, and whatever comes after.
The RangeCap is back in stock, and this time, it brought a friend.
“Women are incredible athletes and can do exceptionally hard things. Please keep up.”
In pt II of our convo with @hey_miya & @hannahwohly , the women behind @renegade_running get real about what the running industry is finally getting right about women in running, what it’s missing, and why “you go girl” is simply not enough.
Photos by @sydneylewis.photo
🔗 in bio.
Socks technically engineered for high-output milage, aesthetically approved for pleated skirts and whatever else you have going on today. Performance is personal; we just provide the equipment.
As illustrated by @hey_miya & @hannahwohly of @renegade_running
📷: @sydneylewis.photo
To meet Hannah & Miya, two of the powerhouses behind @renegade_running , is to love them. They care genuinely about their community, using Renegade as a platform to support and empower the voices of those not typically served through the run community.
They’re running Renegade’s shops, planning community events, earning the hard yards on the floors of trade shows, meeting the reps, building (deep) relationships, and working with brands big (see: ends in “ike”), and small (see: us)- all while still being serious runners.
What makes them both a rarity is that they take their work, their running, and their impeccable style seriously, but not themselves. To be in their presence is to feel simultaneously grounded and lit up; they both have a cool, open energy that never freezes you out. You’ll have conversations that move easily from the deeply specific (how do new moms training for ultras manage their milk supply?) to easy laughter and back again.
At Renegade, they’re building the most exclusive party in running where everyone is still invited. Get to know them a little better through our (lengthy but oh-so worth it) Q&A on Courier Relay.
Photos by the talented @sydneylewis.photo
Boise, Idaho has quickly and quietly become one of the great outdoor homebases of the US. In the last decade, the population grew 25%. That kind of growth usually ruins a place.
Rob Christianson (@reallyrpc ) would argue Boise is the exception to that rule. He runs trails before work, bikes after, skis when the snow permits, and shoots all of it without overthinking. He’s lived it long enough to know what’s changed and what hasn’t.
On today’s Courier Relay, we asked him to walk us through it. 🔗 in bio.
We take your feedback seriously. Embarrassingly seriously, we’ve heard, “crossing into people-pleasing territory”, our therapist would say. You ask, we act. Here’s what’s currently in development:
1. The LoFi Bodysuit: You asked to be entirely encased in LoFi plushness. We pitched it to our factory and they stared in silence for so long we thought the Zoom froze. We think the feasibility study is underway.
2. More Colors: We’ve decided (entirely by free will and absolutely not at all because our CFO is tight with the budget) that “leave ‘em wanting more” is our official brand philosophy now.
3. The Knee-High: A philosophical debate at Courier HQ: how tall is too tall? We know thigh-highs are trending, so we’re pushing the vertical limits.
4. The Left/Right Indicator: We developed this prototype, but early focus groups show it only resonates with people who make their partner come find the ketchup that is sitting front and center in the fridge. Keep us honest though- dm’s are open.
5. The Official Ankle Sock Method: Millennials survived the fold-down, the tuck, and the scrunch. You earned this. We are proud to announce the official Courier DIY Ankle Sock.
An all-season merino sock, designed to be race-y.
@elijahkrause__ putting our performance merino AroFi sock through its paces in a recent XC race (where he podiumed, we’ll have you know).
