The long game: Why Athletic Brewing is doubling down on endurance sponsorships

If a product is good enough for the athletes who compete in Ironman races—grueling, 140.6-mile triathlons that take place around the world—then it’s probably good enough for just about anyone.

That’s the message that the marketing team at Athletic Brewing, the non-alcoholic beer company that has been an official Ironman sponsor going on five years, is hoping to convey through its sponsorship efforts of the races.

“The Ironmen and women are our torture test,” Athletic Brewing CMO Andrew Katz told Marketing Brew. “These are hardcore athletes. They obviously take their training really seriously, they obviously are competitors, and if they embrace the brand, then that’s a really good sign.”

Non-alcoholic beer sales are surging, with the category on track to surpass ale as the second-largest beer category this year, and as Gen Z is drinking less than other age groups, the market for NA booze brands is increasingly competitive. Athletic Brewing, which was valued at $800 million last year, is looking to endurance sports to help the brand gain distance on its competition.

Racing roots

Before Athletic Brewing became the official non-alcoholic beer of Ironman, the brand had a presence at endurance races including Ironmans, Ragnars, and Spartans, Katz said. Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt is an endurance athlete, and Katz said he used to personally hand out samples at races up and down the East Coast after completing them himself.

“I think his in-going hypothesis was: People want to drink something really delicious after they’re done racing, but they also don’t want to undo the good,” Katz said. “They’re not necessarily ready for alcohol at 11am, but a beer sounds really good, and that was how it began.”

Five years into the official partnership, Katz said the positive ROI generated from the tie-up prompted the brand to re-up its deal. Athletic Brewing’s new deal, announced last month, extends through the 2028 season and includes continued title sponsorship rights to the Ironman 70.3 Oceanside and the Ironman Lake Placid triathlons.

In addition to having its name on those races, Athletic Brewing sponsors teams of ambassadors that compete in Ironman events, offers samples during race weekends, and has a brand presence on the course, including on the podium, where winners sip Athletic beers. Ironman and Athletic Brewing have also collaborated on a co-branded brew called Personal Record IPA, an “awe-inspiring IPA that celebrates the sweet taste of achievement in any aspect of life.”

The on-the-ground activations are meant to raise interest and awareness for the brand, especially among Athletic Brewing’s core audience of “healthy, active, outdoor enthusiasts,” Katz said. The company reaches about 100,000 people annually through Ironman events, he told us, and while the bulk of its efforts are in the US, the brand has also made inroads in the UK and Canada.

“Word of mouth is still our best marketing [tool], hands down,” Katz said.

Something’s brewing

Katz and his team aren’t only looking to connect with endurance athletes, and the brand targets anyone who cares about health and wellness, he said. Athletic Brewing’s audience is typically in the 25–54 age range, with higher incomes and education levels, Katz said.

Athletic Brewing also isn’t only for teetotalers. The brand instead aims to position its products as a “chaser” for hard alcohol, a “spacer or a pacer” for people who want to moderate their drinking, or a “replacer” during certain occasions like weeknight sports games, Katz explained.

Whether it’s protein consumption or marathon running, interest in health and fitness is on the rise in the US, and non-alcoholic beer companies are seeing a windfall in the form of a growing number of people looking to cut back on drinking. Beverage industry analytics company IWSR reported 9% growth in sales volume for non-alcoholic beer last year.

To reach the growing demographic of health-conscious consumers, Athletic Brewing has struck up partnerships with other sports and entertainment properties outside of the endurance space, including Arsenal FC, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, the Premier Lacrosse League, the Vans Warped Tour, and Live Nation, as well as inked several NIL deals.

Moving forward, Katz said he’s looking to further grow the brand’s presence in live music, given that “the ability for us to convert a lot of new people in those moments is extraordinarily high.” He’s also hoping to do more with emerging sports like volleyball and lacrosse in order to make an impact beyond sampling and the “logo slapping” that some sports marketers have come to fear.

“I think [there are] some sports that are overlooked by a lot of companies where we can really add value to the experience, as opposed to just being another logo and just another brand that is easily swapped out,” Katz said.