For the third year in a row, we headed to one of our favorite cities for the Chicago Marathon. We love it for so many reasons: the incredible food, the crisp Fall weather, the unbeatable lake views, and of course, the flat and fast course that keeps everyone chasing PRs.
This year, we kicked things off with a shakeout run at Millennium Park, a perfect starting point to check out the city. We kept the pace nice and easy, which gave everyone a chance to shake off the pre-race jitters, meet fellow runners, and enjoy the waterfront views. Of course, we finished up with some well-deserved coffee and donuts before heading into the race expo.
At the expo, we were stoked to see so many familiar faces and meet new friends from the running community. It’s always exciting to introduce our latest line to everyone—if you haven’t checked out our new boxy tees, muscle tees, hoodies, socks, and headwear, you’re definitely missing out!
This year, we partnered with uber talented, Chicago-based artist, Greg Itahara, who designed a limited-edition Pacer hat just for us. Greg even stopped by our booth for a meet-and-greet, and let’s just say, the line was around the block! His exclusive hats sold out within minutes, but if you missed out, don’t worry—you can still pre-order them for one week only. Seriously, don’t sleep on this one!
We also had the chance to sit down with Greg and talk about his creative process and the inspiration behind the custom rnnr Chicago design. Be sure to check out the interview below—it’s a great way to get a peek into the mind of this talented artist.
rnnr: What was your initial reaction when rnnr approached you to design the Official Chicago Marathon hat?
Greg: Shock and excitement. It was always my bucket list creatively to have a design I conceived at the expo as a tangible keepsake for runners to take back with them.
rnnr: Chicago has mad street culture and history, how did the city itself inspire your design?
Greg: Chicago is so diverse and broken up into many segments that it’s a melting pot of history and cultures. I wanted to highlight a few of the neighborhoods along the course that make the melting pot. Even though all 29 neighborhoods are part of the journey we would need a huge ass hat to tell the entire story.
rnnr: Were there specific elements of the marathon experience or running culture you wanted to highlight in the hat design?
The main element I wanted to highlight was the “blue” line. A road marking that goes the entire length of the course of the shortest and most direct way to the finish line. When times got tough mentally and physically, I always looked for the blue line.
rnnr: rnnr is known for pushing boundaries in performance gear, how did you incorporate that innovation into the aesthetic of the hat?
Greg: With innovation comes more new possibilities and opportunities to design and tell stories in fabrics and production. The hat we created had so many levels and various ways of printing and embellishments in telling the story it blew me away to finally see the finished product!
rnnr: Did you face any challenges while working on this project creatively?
Greg: The main overall challenge as a designer is to make something different not only visually but more importantly what’s the story around this. Stories create dialog. Dialog creates connectivity. Connectivity is running culture.
rnnr: Are there any hidden details or Easter eggs in the design that you want fans of the marathon to notice?
Greg: The side panels. I wanted a Japanese-style pattern to give the hat a visual framing for the top graphics. The pattern is known as “Asanoha” It’s inspired by hemp leaves and is known as a sturdy, resilient, and fast-growing plant that has become a symbol of strength and vitality in Japan. But if you look close, they are in the shape of the stars in the Chicago flag.
rnnr: In what ways do you hope your design motivated or inspired the athletes who wore it on race day?
Greg: It’s the other way around. It’s those running that inspire the design.
rnnr: Looking back, what does this collaboration with rnnr mean to you personally and as an artist?
Greg: One word- Everything
rnnr: (that may have made us tear up)
Sunday was all about race day energy. We cheered our hearts out at mile 25, watching as runners dug deep, broke records, and crossed that iconic finish line with smiles on their faces. There’s truly nothing like the Chicago Marathon and we are already looking forward to next year.