On Thursday 28th November, myself, Nathan and Oli were fortunate enough to head along to the official ASICS Novablast 5 launch!
Held along the northern beaches of Sydney at 4 Pines Brewing, in Brookvale, the event brought together run specialty stores from across Australia, along with local run leaders from Sydney. Upon arrival, we were handed a goodie bag that included a pair of Novablast 5’s, a running tee, shorts, and socks.
Sam Hopper, ASICS’ Running Expert, welcomed everyone, spoke through the tech updates of the new Novablast and where it might sit within a shoe rotation, and outlined the evening's agenda.
Fortunately, the weather cleared up just in time for us to begin our 30-minute jog. The sea of colour from the tees we were given was very cool and definitely on theme with the whole evening - we definitely stood out to motorists and other pedestrians in the area! The run then took a turn onto a local bike path that led to a sandy trail running beside South Curl Curl Beach. Despite the humidity being above 90%, we were relieved that the forecasted storms didn’t hit the Brookvale area.
Having already run in the Novablast 5’s, I was excited to hear other runners' thoughts and experiences, especially since it was their first time trying them. Many shared positive feedback, praising the shoes for their poppy responsiveness, lightweight feel, and vibrant colorways. The only minor critique came from those who found the shoes a bit slippery underfoot on the wet sandy paths.
After our run, most people headed to the bar to enjoy a refreshing drink, with the Brookvale Ginger Beer quickly becoming a crowd favorite, along with a variety of food.
We then gathered to listen to a Q&A session, hosted by Sam Hopper, featuring ASICS athletes Leanne Pompeani and Ed Goddard. Leanne has had an outstanding year on the roads, with a remarkable winning streak that includes victories at the Gold Coast Half Marathon, Melbourne Half Marathon, and most recently, the Burnie10. Ed, fresh from the Valencia Half Marathon, shared that he had set a new personal best with a time of 1:02:07. It was a great opportunity to hear from both athletes about their race-day routines, current training loads, and, of course, their ASICS shoe rotations.
The rest of the evening was ours to enjoy, and it was great to catch-up with the ASICS marketing team and fellow retailers. In the background, some competitive table tennis matches were underway, accompanied by live music. As the rain finally began to fall, we were grateful it held off longer than expected, and it was certainly a relief to be undercover.
RunDNA would like to extend a huge thank you to ASICS Australia for the opportunity to be a part of the Novablast 5 launch event! If you haven’t tried them yet, be sure to give the Novablast 5 a go the next time you’re in-store or read our blog review here.
About the author
Georgia van der Jeugd - Events Coordinator and Passionate Runner
I coordinate all of our events here at RunDNA and thoroughly enjoy working with a wide range of organisations within the running and fitness community.
I also love my running and particularly like the training block for a half marathon as it involves a lot of variability in terms of the aerobic and speed work. If I'm not out on the roads, or on the track, you'll usually find me in the gym, Pilates studio or swimming laps at my local pool.
