The running industry is well known for its innovation in products from all categories – from shoes to apparel to accessories – and  a unique new product for female runners and athletes was recognized as the winner of the Start-Up Challenge, a program coordinated by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) that recognizes innovation in the world of sports.

The company is called Maaree and was founded by Mari Thomas-Welland as a women’s sportswear company dedicated to supporting women so they can achieve their goals confidently and worry-free. Thomas-Welland leveraged her experience testing sports bras in lab conditions and designed the world’s first sports bras with Overband technology, an integrated curved panel that runs over the top of the chest to reduce upward motion and restrict the range of motion of the breasts – which significantly reduces upward motion during activity.

Despite her job as a bra tester and being a hockey player, she says she still couldn’t find her perfect support. So she decided to visit a charity shop and buy a belt, of all things, and proceeded to adapt it to suit the shape of her body and attach it to a existing, mediocre bra in her wardrobe and went for a run. The difference, she says, was incredible.

So, with a few design iterations and prototypes later, she launched the world’s first and only sports bras with Overband Technology.

“The product is indeed built for female runners,” she tells Running Insight. “Our Overband Technology is what makes our sports bra superior in support. It’s a curved panel that runs over the top of the chest, which is integrated into the sports bra.”

Thomas-Welland, who has run the London Marathon in addition to being an active hockey player and Crossfit enthusiast, says her personal values have always included empowering women and fighting for equality, so it felt natural for her to extend these over to Maaree. The company’s vision is to become the UK’s top sports bra brand and close the gender gap in exercise participation by providing the necessary tools and support for women to lead healthy, active and empowered lives.

Here we excerpt an interview she did recently with SFIA.

What inspired the brand and how did it evolve into a leader in women’s sportswear innovation? 

Maaree was born out of my own frustration as both an athlete and a professional sports bra tester. I repeatedly saw that women were forced to compromise between support and comfort, with no product addressing both properly. I set out to change that, designing bras from the ground up with women’s real experiences at the core. 

Since launching, we’ve grown from a niche start-up to a brand recognized for reshaping expectations of what women’s sportswear should deliver: performance, innovation, and empowerment.

How has winning the SFIA Start-Up Challenge influenced your vision or trajectory going forward? 

Winning the SFIA Start-Up Challenge validated the problem we’re solving on an international stage. It gave us visibility, credibility and new connections within the global sports industry. More importantly, it reinforced our mission to push innovation further and to expand Maaree beyond the UK.

SFIA data highlights a rise in girls’ participation in sports. Have you noticed similar trends among your customers or community, and how is Maaree supporting or responding to this shift?

Yes, absolutely. We’ve seen more parents and young women engaging with us about proper support for girls at earlier ages. There’s a growing recognition that girls shouldn’t have to wait until discomfort becomes a barrier. They deserve well-designed sportswear from the start of their journey. 

To support this, we’ve partnered with world-class athletes to help ensure that our message and mission reaches that of a younger generation, too. 

How does Maaree’s unique design address the needs of girls and women participating in sports? 

Our designs are engineered for movement, not just aesthetics. Our Overband technology provides crucial upward support that reduces bounce during running, jumping and contact play. 

We also offer eight points of adjustability across our bras, which means athletes can customize the fit to their body, ensuring long-lasting comfort. This level of performance design is especially important for younger athletes whose bodies are changing, as it allows them to stay focused on the game rather than discomfort.

What do you see as the key challenges or barriers still preventing girls from engaging in sports and how is Maaree working to overcome those? 

The main barriers are often confidence, access and education. Many girls stop participating when they feel self-conscious about their bodies. Others face financial or cultural barriers that limit access to appropriate gear. We address these by normalizing conversations around support, creating products that solve real pain points and offering fitting advice to make the buying process less intimidating. We also run community initiatives and partnerships that aim to lower these barriers and keep girls engaged in sport.

How do you envision the future of girls’ sports apparel evolving? 

For far too long, women and girls have been given sports apparel that’s just a smaller, pink version of men’s kit. We believe the future looks very different. Girls and women should be at the forefront of design, not an afterthought. That means asking them what they want and need from an early age, understanding what influences them and creating apparel that reflects their ambitions, not just their bodies.

When girls are properly consulted, the feedback is clear: they want comfort, confidence and the freedom to move without distraction. They want designs that support their individuality and performance, not clothing that makes them feel like they’re borrowing from someone else’s playbook. 

The future of sports apparel is about putting female athletes at the center of innovation, shaping apparel that truly enables them to thrive.