Up There Athletics was born out of a love of sport and the constantly evolving technology that goes into modern day running shoes. The initial concept morphed into something bigger and more meaningful as the full potential and purpose of the store was realised. There was an existing community that had a really strong foundation and connection to their one common denominator…running. So from what was essentially a retail concept to start with grew into a place, both physical and digital, that people can engage, communicate and grow. We exists to serve the local running community and provide them the tools to get the most from their connection to running. Whether they’re in it for performance or they’re looking to escape the stresses of the world, we recognise that and want to help people on that journey'.

Joining forces with true custodians of running, not only in Melbourne but globally, Tempo Journal played an integral part of this journey. Having worked with the New Balance for over 10 years now, we have a strong connection to the brand, making this initiative is really exciting. There is definitely something to be said for engaging and giving back to people that support you and expecting nothing in return. The New Balance Fuel Cell Rebel V2 is a hot shoe, we were very excited to get it onto some more feet in Melbourne. It’s also been a tough 18 months to be a Melburnian, and we’re happy to be able to play a small part in giving people one more reason to get out there and run.

A really important part of this whole project is the partnership with Upparel. We’re acutely aware of the impact of the products we buy and sell on the planet, so we partnered with Upparel to help try and offset a small percentage of that impact – whilst we sent out some fresh New Balance Fuel Cell Rebel V2’s, we also asked people to send us back, at minimum, one pair of running shoes or apparel, which we passed on to the team at Upparel who will reuse and recycle them to keep them out of landfill, helping further the development of a circular economy.

Photography— Harrington Studios