Without being able to count on its highly visible sponsorship of the 2020 New York City Marathon, which is going virtual this year, New Balance has nonetheless come up with a running collection to make the event a little more personal for thousands of runners.

This year, marathoners will face a new challenge – and for many, their hardest yet – as they take on the 2020 Virtual TCS New York City Marathon.

Starting on Saturday, thousands of participants will map their own 26.2 mile courses and take on this year’s race before November 1 without the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with competitors on the starting line and the thrill of hearing spectators cheer their names each mile. Emblematic of the virtual environment, the 2020 New York City Marathon and other remote races pose a unique challenge, but New Balance says it believes that it’s more important than ever to celebrate the power of running.

So on October 15, New Balance is introducing a limited edition capsule collection to recognize the 2020 Virtual New York City Marathon that includes a new colorway of the FuelCell RC Elite marathon racing shoe as well as a commemorative singlet and T-shirt.  

The collection will be sold at newbalance.com. 

MSRP for the Tees: $30; Singlets: $50; Shoe: $225. 

“Virtual racing strips the sport back down to its core, while allowing us to measure our efforts against athletes from all over the world without the complexity and cost of travel,”” says Bekah Broe, senior product manager at New Balance. “It’s true that some races are iconic because of the scenery and challenge their courses provide, and 2020 has forced all of us to become more creative in our approach to running and to embrace the race course in our own backyards.

“If we, collectively as runners, can challenge our personal bests without the thrills and fanfare of a typical race experience, it’s exciting to imagine how much faster we can be when we’re once again reunited on the starting line,” Broe adds.