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Zalando is the main partner of the Copenhagen Marathon, which has grown into one of the city’s largest and most unifying events. A race that not only draws thousands of participants, but also transforms Copenhagen into a citywide celebration.

But what is driving Europe’s largest fashion and lifestyle platform to invest so heavily in Copenhagen in particular?

We spoke with James Rothwell, Senior Vice President Marketing at Zalando, on Friday morning in Copenhagen.

James Rothwell is Senior Vice President Marketing at Zalando, having joined the company in 2025. He has previously held senior marketing roles at companies including TikTok, Netflix, Google and World Rugby, bringing extensive international experience across technology, sport and culture.

James, you are here in Copenhagen for the Copenhagen Marathon, where Zalando is the main sponsor. Why is this an interesting partnership for Zalando?

We are very excited to be in Copenhagen for the Marathon. It’s a fantastic partnership that reflects our ambition to be Europe’s leading technology platform for fashion and lifestyle. Copenhagen is a city that lives and breathes an active lifestyle, and for us, this isn’t just a sponsorship; it’s about authentically integrating Zalando into sports culture.

By partnering with Sparta Athletics & Running until 2027, we can support our customers through every phase of their journey – from the moment they buy their first pair of running shoes on our platform to the second they cross the finish line. We want to celebrate the unique joy and community that arises when an entire city moves together, positioning Zalando as the go-to destination for runners in the Nordics and beyond.

Can you explain how you concretely work with activating a partnership like the Copenhagen Marathon?

For us, activation is about showing up across the full marathon journey: motivating the crowds, powering the runners, and rewarding the finishers. We don’t just want to be a logo on a bib; we want to be the pulse of the race. This year, we’ve designed three distinct, branded zones to engage the city:

At KM16 (Nørrebros Runddel), we’re focusing on the power of the crowd. We’ve introduced ‘The RoarBoard,’ a dynamic LED installation that visualises the energy of the spectators in real time. With MC Kamal leading ‘roar’ countdowns and cheer karaoke, we’re turning cheering into an interactive sport in its own right.

At KM32 (BLOX), we address the most critical part of the race: ‘the wall.’ We’ve partnered with DJ Harty to build the longest music zone in the marathon’s history: 230 metres of speakers lining the route. The BPM of the music actually evolves with the race pace to ensure every runner gets the specific acoustic ‘push’ they need at their toughest moment.

At the Finish Area (Fælledparken), we transition into celebration and recovery at ‘The Running Hub.’ This is where we reward the community with exclusive Nike x Zalando merch, customisation stations, and a space to decompress.

By combining technology, music, and physical retail experiences, we’re proving that Zalando is more than a platform; we are an active participant in the lifestyle of our customers.

Copenhagen has become an international running destination in recent years. What is your own impression of the city and the energy around marathon weekend?

The energy is absolutely electric. Copenhagen has this unique ability to turn a sporting event into a vibrant, city-wide public celebration. Seeing unprecedented numbers of runners take to the streets, especially as the city prepares to host the World Championships later this year, is a testament to the diversity and community we often talk about at Zalando.

My impression is that Copenhagen represents the best of European urban culture: it’s inclusive, it’s active, and it’s forward-thinking. This ‘Copenhagen energy’ is exactly why we’ve expanded our commitment from a single race in 2025 to a full suite of running events through 2027. We are proud to help take this city’s running events to the next level.

Fashion and sport are increasingly merging. How do you see that development at Zalando?

We don’t see fashion and sport as separate buckets: they are part of the same lifestyle ecosystem that we are creating. We know that 85% of our customers engage in sports weekly, so our role is to be their multi-specialist partner. We are seeing a massive shift where performance gear is becoming a staple of daily style – for example, the share of running shoes sold on Zalando in the premium price range has more than doubled in recent years. People are looking for gear that works as hard as they do, but still looks stylish and cool. We want to be the ones bridging that gap for our customers.

From my perspective, Zalando started as a very classic e-commerce platform but today plays a much more cultural role as well. How are you working with that development?

Indeed, over the years, we’ve evolved from focusing on transaction and convenience to being a destination for daily inspiration. Our goal in marketing is to transform Zalando from an advertiser into a publisher. We now operate with a “dual-speed” model: we run seasonal cinematic, large-scale campaigns with global icons like Lily Collins, while our in-house “Newsroom” team reacts to cultural trends in real time. They turn these trends into creative ideas, ensuring we stay relevant in the moments that matter most to our customers. Ultimately, we want to meet our customers where they are, in their moment of inspiration, and play a bigger role in their lives. We want to earn attention through storytelling.

How does Zalando decide which partnerships make sense culturally?

We ask: does this partner help us meet consumers where they are? We don’t just want visibility, we want to co-create shared cultural experiences. Whether it’s a high-fashion placement, such as Copenhagen Fashion Week, or a local marathon, the partnership must allow us to insert Zalando into a passionate cultural conversation. In Sports, we choose partnerships that resonate authentically with specific communities, whether that’s the freestyle ski community at LAAX in Switzerland, the passionate football fans in Germany via our partnership with the German Football Association, or the Copenhagen Marathon. Teaming up with locally relevant moments allows us to connect authentically with the community.

Besides Zalando, you have worked at several large companies (insert in intro). What is the most important thing you have learned about consumers in recent years that doesn’t really change, even in a fast-moving world?

We live in a world of infinite choice. Consumers are overwhelmed: they don’t want more options, they want better curation. They want a trusted partner to help them navigate culture and find their own voice and place in it. My biggest takeaway is that brands that play “offence”, taking risks and creating real cultural value, are the ones that build lasting relationships with customers.

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