Founder Reflection: 4 years of Runly

RUNLY NEWSLETTER #132
Thurs Nov 6th 2025

🎂 Runly just turned 4!

It’s been a wild four years.

Four years full of sweat, sleepless nights, sold-out drops, near-failures, small wins, and a few truly surreal moments.

So I thought I’d take this week’s newsletter to reflect on a few key moments that have shaped this thing we call Runly.

🚀 Nov 2021 - The very beginning
I launched our first running vest because I needed a way to carry my phone, house keys, and lifesaving medication while I ran.

Nine people bought it.

That was enough for me to think "...okay, maybe there’s something here."

And slowly… very slowly… the word got out.

We sold out 10 times over the next 18 months, and thousands of vests later, we were somehow still alive.

But trust me, it wasn’t pretty.

We put every dollar back into stock. I wrote a newsletter once called "We could've died 5 times", it was tough.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from that phase, it’s this: you need drive, a touch of insanity, and at least a little bit of luck.

💧 May 2023 - The R700 is born
One colour. One size. Pre-order only.
That was the entire R700 launch.

I sat on my honeymoon in Queensland, refreshing my inbox with sweaty palms… waiting for reactions from the first batch of brave customers.

Eventually the emails rolled in.
Not complaints. Not crickets.
Love.

Fast forward: we've now sold over 15,000 R700 vests. And we’ve made little continuous improvements every step of the way to keep making it better and better.

It’s still our best seller, and it’s still the heart of the brand.

🏃 Feb 2024 - Our first event
Somewhere on the Mornington Peninsula...
A small running event with maybe 120 people. We were the only brand there. In fact, I don't think the organisers even had a tent for the bib pickups, it was just setup on a picnic table.

I spotted two runners wearing a Runly vest.
Just imagine: two total strangers... choosing YOUR thing.
I’ll never forget it.

We sold two items that day. One to a woman who was just passing by and wanted to support a small business.

Despite barely covering our petrol costs, we drove home that day absolutely beaming with pride and excitement. To be there, in front of runners with this brand that we created was incredible. We knew there was something special about this.

🧑💼 Jun 2024 - Full time, All in.
I became full time in the business and was able to pay myself (minimum) wage. This was quite a big milestone, being able to pay myself a salary (albeit, a very small one) meant that I was able to go even harder at making the best products, creating content and building our community even further.

🎒 Oct 2024 - Hybrid Pro launch
A new silhouette. A premium feel. And in classic Runly fashion, we had no idea if it would work.

It did.

Three colourways later, it became a crowd favourite.

🏟️ Oct 2024 - Melbourne Marathon Expo
Our hometown event.
Our biggest event to date.

The people, the energy. It was surreal to meet runners who’ve been following this journey quietly from the sidelines.

I still remember customers saying, "I've only come down to come say hey to you guys and check out the range"

Truly surreal.

🌊 Mar 2025 - Navy R700
The third colour in the R700 collection drops - Navy. A complete sell-out.

☀️ Jun 2025 - Gold Coast Marathon
Our first interstate expo.
Chaos. Exhaustion.
One of the craziest weeks of my career.

But also?
The week I met Dan. He came up to the booth to say hi, and ended up helping me out all weekend, and has worked on every major Runly event with us since.

Proof that the best part of all this is the people we meet along the way.

🌏 Aug 2025 - Sydney Marathon
Our first time at a world major.
I don’t have the words for this one. You just had to be there.

And now?

Now we're four.
We've gone from nine orders to many.

From spare-room packing to full-blown warehouse logistics.

From "I hope this works", to "let's make the best damn running gear in Australia. NO. The world".

This next chapter is exciting.
We're building new things.
Showing up at more events.
And growing the Runly community one run at a time.

Thanks for being here for the journey.
It means everything.
 
Run well,
Robbie
 
P.S you can get 30% off storewide to celebrate our 4th bday. Tap here.