Saucony is encouraging users to spend less time scrolling and more time taking physical steps.
The Waltham, Mass.-based running brand on Wednesday will launch the Marathumb Challenge App, a mobile experience designed to fight against doomscrolling, the term for spending an inordinate amount of time reading bad or negative news stories.
The brand partnered with market research company HarrisX to survey more than 1,000 Americans on how technology impacts their ability to enjoy the outdoors. The results found that the average person scrolls the distance of three marathons, or 78 miles a year, on their phone. This resulted in the creation of the Marathumb Challenge.
The app will measure the distance users scroll and compares that to the number of steps taken each day and week.
The first weekly challenge will kick off on Monday and will continue for six weeks. Over the course of those six weeks, if a user moves more than they scroll, they receive rewards in the form of Saucony gift cards and free branded merchandise such as neck gaiters, hats, string bags and other products.
Within the platform, users can track their daily and weekly progress and motivate others by sharing completed challenges on their social media channels.
“With Americans scrolling the distance of three marathons a year on their smartphones, we’ve identified a fun and creative opportunity to challenge consumers to move their feet more than their feed,” said Rob Griffiths, brand president of Saucony. “The launch of the Marathumb Challenge App underscores Saucony’s belief in the transformational power of movement, and we look forward to continuing to encourage everyone to live a better life by shifting the balance between screen time and step time.”
A campaign also launches Wednesday and will feature brand ambassadors Tayshia Adams, a former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestant, and Dr. Joe, an emergency medicine physician and TikTok star.
At the same time, Saucony has unveiled the Ride 17 sneaker, a lightweight running shoe designed for all types of runners. It is equipped with a Pwrrun+ midsole, and offers a combination of cushioning and responsiveness. The shoe retails for $140.
