Assortment of individuals jogging, t-shirts, and designing athletic wear.

About Us

What We Do

We create running apparel for individuals. As a runner, you are the unique culmination of choices that make you the athlete you are. No two runners are the same. No two training plans, race strategies, or recovery methods. Our sport can be hard. It takes its toll on our bodies, asks questions of our minds, and tests our resolve as humans. Running can be ugly. We grimace our way through biting cold winters, blink away sweat in sunbaked summers, grit our teeth against the rising of hills, and fight the demons that hold us in our beds on dark mornings.

Our running apparel has been meticulously developed and tested by athletes who embrace the individual and celebrate the personal journeys that pursue the enlightened state that running can bring. The perfect blend of iconic style, premium materials, and high-performance functionality.

Whatever your journey, dare to be Uncommon®.

The Story So Far

Born in the UK into a family of amateur athletes, I (Luke) started running at a young age. Coached by my dad, I went on to compete in regional and national events on track, road, and cross-country, inspired by the greats like Haile Gebrselassie, Paula Radcliffe, and Hicham El Guerrouj.

I would eventually meet my wife, Emma, in 2012 whilst working in London. We fell in love across a couple of office desks, sharing a passion for the great outdoors, travel and adventure, before emigrating to the USA in 2017.

We were frustrated by a lack of running apparel that reflected our personal design aesthetic. I dreamed to combine my experience as a runner with Emma’s professional creative background, and to design an alternative to the homogenous athletic brands that pervade the corrals of races across the USA. We also wanted to build a brand that spoke to and with the amazing running community that exists in our home of Columbus, Ohio.

It began with an ethos. To create designs that represent the gritty, tough, and often challenging world of running. Inspired by uncommon athletes from the past and present, Uncommon Runner designs capture an esprit recognized by those who put one foot in front of the other when their body is telling them to quit.

The Future

A full range of custom developed running apparel is on its way, launching in Fall of 2024.

Fabric sourcing has taken us to Italy; famed for the world’s highest quality garment materials. Equally, when selecting manufacturers, it has been important to team up with partners with a rich history and experience in creating the world’s best athletic apparel. For those in the apparel industries, Portugal has long been known to produce such garments.

With materials and manufacturers identified, we began the long process of designing each garment from scratch. It starts with a concept and must be translated into a drawing with detailed specifications. This involved tirelessly taking specific measurements, ordering sample garments, and adjusting them little by little until they are perfect.

Each fabric and design feature is being tested out. For our Training Jacket, we would wait for rainy days and wear iteration after iteration, working to balance weather resistance with breathability. The Technical Tee fabrics would be worn on long runs through humid summer nights and as a base layer on frigid winter morning interval sessions. If something didn’t work, we would send it back to the drawing board.

We are incredibly excited to be launching our maiden range of specialist premium running apparel. Developed in collaboration with athletes from across the USA and Europe, we endeavor to create go-to garments that reflect the determination and character of the individuals who have helped us along the way.

If you’ve enjoyed our story so far, you might like to join our community and subscribe to our newsletter. Thanks for joining us.

See you out there,

Luke & Emma