IO X ADIDAS: INSIDE THE BERLIN MARATHON WEEKEND
A marathon puts the body through more than 42 kilometres of running.
Hours of movement, sweat, sun, wind, changing temperatures and constant exposure can also put the skin under pressure.
So where does skincare fit into a marathon?
For the Berlin Marathon, Indoor Outdoor Lab joined adidas in what was our first cosmetics collaboration with the brand, bringing functional skincare into the runner experience across the weekend.
From the Adidas Running Hub to the Styling Suite and finally the marathon course, we met people at different moments of their race weekend and explored what their skin actually needs when they move.
Why Does a Runner Need Skincare?
During a marathon, skincare is probably not the first thing on a runner's mind.
But over 42.195 km, the skin is exposed to the same environment as the athlete: sweat, sun, wind, friction and hours outside.
Before the race, protection matters. During an active day, staying fresh and comfortable matters. Afterwards, the focus shifts to recovery.
That is where functional skincare can become part of the routine not as an extra step, but as something designed around the realities of an active lifestyle.
What Happens Before the Race?
At the Adidas Running Hub on Friday and Saturday, we introduced runners, adidas guests and visitors to IO.
People could discover the products, test the formulas and ask questions about how they could fit into their routines.
Mistral brought freshness into the day. Buran SPF 50+ offered an easy way to protect exposed areas from the sun. Zephyr introduced the recovery side of skincare after a day of movement and exposure.
But the most important part was what happened after people tried them.
What did they notice? What did they like? What would they actually use?
The conversations gave us a direct view of how people experience the products from the first feel of a texture to the reaction to a scent or the way a product fits into their routine.
What Happens Behind the Scenes?
Inside the adidas Styling Suite, we saw another side of race weekend.
Athletes, creatives and guests were preparing for the marathon, getting ready and taking a moment before heading out into Berlin. This was where skincare naturally became part of preparation.
It wasn't about changing someone's routine for race day. It was about showing how a few functional products can fit into the routine they already have before stepping outside and into the city.
And Then, 42.195 km. On Sunday, everything changed.
The streets filled with runners. The pace picked up. Berlin became the backdrop to one of the world's biggest marathons. Together with adidas, we were also present at a stop along the course, bringing IO closer to the people actually running the race.
At this point, the products were no longer being discussed in a showroom or tested in a quiet environment. They were part of a weekend built around movement.
Why Be There?
Because the people using skincare are the most important part of the equation.
A marathon brings together thousands of people with different skin, different routines and different reasons for running. Some are there to race. Some are there to challenge themselves. Some are running their first marathon.
Others have been preparing for months. But they all share the same environment for 42.195 km.
Being there with adidas allowed us to listen to those people, understand what they notice and see where functional skincare naturally fits into their lives.
What Did Berlin Leave Us With?
More than product feedback.
It gave us conversations, reactions and a better understanding of what people actually need from their skincare when they are active and outside for hours.
Because functional skincare isn't about telling people what they should use.
It's about understanding how they live, move and experience the outdoor and creating products that make sense within that reality.