Not Your Average Product Launch
Running through the factory
On Friday evening, May 1, the SugarFactory in Amsterdam transformed into an athletic arena. All4running and Saucony chose a location that is more than just a venue: an industrial complex with character, space, and a 250-meter-long route straight through the heart of the factory. With The Maze – ZE:RO:HO:UR, they didn’t just launch a shoe—they created an experience that put the Endorphin Azura on the map in unforgettable fashion. Two hundred participants and spectators experienced an evening where sports, excitement, and spectacular surroundings came together. SugarFactory provided the setting; Saucony and All4running provided the energy.
Saucony The Maze
- Event type: Sports event and launch
- Date: May 2026
- Attendees: 200 attendees
- Spaces: Middenfabriek, Pulppersloods, Binnenstraat, and Beet Washing Rooms.
More than just a shoe
The shoe had to move
You don’t launch a brand-new running shoe with a stage and a PowerPoint presentation. The Endorphin Azura is Saucony’s fast & light daily, a shoe made for running. All4running and Saucony were looking for a way to convey that feeling directly to their target audience. Not a passive presentation, but an activation where the shoe proves itself. The location had to reinforce that story.
From idea to racetrack
The factory became a playground full of excitement
All4running and Saucony conceived The Maze ZE:RO:HO:UR: a team race in which four runners, in rotating pairs, complete as many 250-meter laps as possible in four 12-minute blocks. No straight track, but a route straight through the Middenfabriek, the Pulppersloods, and the Binnenstraat. The industrial surroundings of the SugarFactory gave the event a raw, athletic energy that no sports hall could have offered.
The format was both clever and exciting. Teams of two men and two women competed as duos, with each gender running together. After four laps, the top four teams qualified for a final round of another 12 minutes. The team covering the greatest distance over five laps won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Saucony Berlin 10K on June 20.
The product launch of the Endorphin Azura was interwoven with the event itself. Participants didn’t test the shoe on a treadmill or in a showroom; they raced through a factory in them. That’s the most direct product presentation imaginable.
What Saucony says about SugarFactory
"A running race right in the middle of a factory—and where better than at SugarFactory! It was a successful event, thanks in part to the help and professionalism of the SugarFactory staff. The location offers many possibilities, allowing us to really go all out. The SugarFactory as a venue has several major advantages, in addition to the beautiful factory itself: accessibility, parking, and the various spaces available for use. Thanks to this, we were able to run a lap of over 250 meters through the entire factory during our event!"
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