I’ve yet to write a blog post about the Gatorade EndurAlliance program, which is a team of approximately 15 brand ambassadors around the USA. I was chosen to represent the Chicago market, which is also Gatorade’s home market (as their headquarters is here, just a few blocks from where I live). This incredible opportunity deserves its own post, so I’ll keep it short but say I am very grateful and excited to be a part of the team. Gatorade is a brand with a storied history in sport, blazing a path in the world of not just team sports but also endurance sports like triathlon, running and cycling. Beyond the chance to train and race with Gatorade’s G Series PRO products, I’ve become linked with other athletes around the country that are passionate and enthusiastic about sport and the Gatorade brand. Great things are ahead for this group and Gatorade in general, so stay tuned!
A major component of the EndurAlliance ambassador program is serving as Gatorade’s presence at large races in the Chicago area. This weekend is one of our larger half-marathons of the year, Rock N Roll Chicago. Approximately 40,000 athletes will cross the start line on Sunday July 22nd, all fueled on the race course with Gatorade G Series PRO Endurance Formula drink. Clearly Gatorade is committed to helping every racer Win From Within!
The Gatorade booth at Rock N Roll Chicago, where you #WinFromWithin
The pre-race expo is a two-day event, on the Friday and Saturday before the race. Held at McCormick Place East like many of the larger running events, the expo hall is basically a huge mini-city of booths from both the largest names in endurance sports (Gatorade, K-Swiss, Timex and more) and up-and-comers looking to gain a foothold. I staffed the expo booth on day one along with Jessica, a Well-Fit teammate and fellow Gatorade EndurAlliance ambassador in Chicago. We were joined by two good friends who also happen to be Well-Fit teammates, Brad and Cindy. After setting up the booth, we were ready to Rock N Roll!
Brad, Cindy, Jessica and Henry – ready for Rock N Roll Chicago, expo day 1
Things started slowly at first, as the expo began at 11am on Friday — lots of people were probably at work. But by noon the expo hall was buzzing with energy and athletes. Everyone was excited for a bit of refreshing Endurance Formula, with many people commenting on how happy they were that Gatorade was the on-course drink. The G Series PRO Carb Energy Chews were a huge hit — they were snapped up by athletes as quickly as we put them out for sampling! Both flavors, fruit punch and orange, were popular with folks and there were many compliments on how the chews are tasty and easy to eat (compared to other similar products out there). In fact, had we been selling the Carb Energy Chews, I don’t think we’d have been able to keep them in stock! Lucky for us, we were there to give away free samples — the smiles and genuine appreciation from expo visitors were just incredible. The Gatorade crew and our booth’s visitors all had a blast as you can see below!
Athletes sampling Gatorade products
The Sole Sisterhood, a group of friends that trains and races together, loves Gatorade!
These guys were playing hooky from work to come to the Rock N Roll Chicago expo. They couldn’t get enough of Gatorade products!
The booth stayed busy the rest of the day, til the expo officially ended at 6pm. In fact, although they announced over the PA system that the expo was closed, many people were still making their way through the hall and we stuck around late (with the lights out) to chat with the last few athletes and folks from other expo booths. Overall it was a fun and energizing day, filled with overwhelming enthusiasm shown by people for the Gatorade brand and products. While I know that I enjoy training with the full line of Prime, Perform and Recover, it was incredibly impactful to hear athletes of every age and experience level rave about Gatorade. Tomorrow is sure to be even better, as two-thirds of the racers will be coming through the expo. The Gatorade booth and EndurAlliance team is ready and we’re looking forward to seeing you, so stop by!
G Series PRO Endurance Formula
G Series PRO Carb Energy Chews
Debating the best swimmer of the group
