runderwear Co-founder Stories

runderwear Co-founder Stories

In our 10th year of runderwear, we’re looking back at where it all began. Co-founders Rich and Jamie had a love of sport from a young age and this passion only grew with time until eventually, they turned their passion into purpose with a mission of keeping runners chafe-free – which evolved to be so much more.

 

Rich

Like most children, runderwear CEO and Co-founder Richard Edmonds was introduced to running through school cross-country races and sports day. At 13 years old he joined the local running club and was immediately hooked; he’d found his sport.

At 18 years old Rich chose to study at Loughborough University so he could train alongside some of the best runners in the country, including many of our Olympians - what an opportunity!

Keen to find out how good he could be, Rich was dedicated to getting faster and pushing himself to achieve his goals. It was this dedication gave him the opportunity to win races and compete in national competitions like the British Championships.

On his first day at Loughborough, Rich met Jamie, who would become his best friend and fellow Co-founder of runderwear -we’ll get back to that. Whist at University Rich also met fellow athlete, Liam, who had been performing a dance show to fund his own Olympic dream. He encouraged Rich to join him and the two of them set off the next day to Coventry to dance on the street with their busking show. This would fund their massage, physio and everything else to train and compete at a high level.

In 2009 that small street show gained huge exposure when they appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Their act, Faces of Disco, reached the semi-finals, conceding to Stavros Flatley, Susan Boyle and the 2009 winner, Diversity! The next few years whizzed by as Rich, and Liam performed all over the world from Tokyo and Rome, to America.

Wherever Rich was in the world, he would always run. It’s the best way to see somewhere new.

Rich and Jamie had been running together and after Jamie chafed during the New York Marathon they had searched high and low for underwear made for runners, to help avoid chafing, but to no avail. Armed with Rich’s family history in the hosiery industry, they decided to find a solution to chafing for good.

2013 saw Rich and Jamie launch runderwear at the London Marathon Expo where they sold out of stock – demand for chafe-free running underwear was high, and runderwear was born.

10 years into the runderwear journey and it's not just runners that are benefitting from runderwear products, our underwear, socks and bras are used for all sports including rugby, yoga, hiking and even swim!  We say we are born by runners, made for activity.  The ultimate comfort next to your skin.

 

Jamie

Like Rich, runderwear Co-Founder Jamie also enjoyed sport from a young age, including football, hockey and cricket to a representative standard. Jamie’s first experience of competitive running came at the Poole Minithon when he was just 10 years old. The trophies were displayed in the local library in the lead up to race day and the first, second and third placed were huge and he wanted one! Jamie remembers asking his dad to enter him into the competition. In that first race he loved the feeling of running, pushing yourself and that unique post-run endorphin rush. The running bug was caught!

After finishing school, Jamie went to study at Loughborough University and continued to play competitive football. Running became an essential part of Jamie’s training but in his words he “certainly wasn’t the calibre required to represent Loughborough”. However, he did enjoy soaking up the knowledge of amazing athletes and sports scientists within his circle of friends, including fellow runderwear Co-founder, Rich Edmonds. Jamie was inspired by Rich’s dedication to running and found it fascinating to have a glance behind the curtain of some top athletes and how they ate, trained and lived.  

After graduating Jamie moved back to his hometown of Poole for a year to train as a Personal Trainer with a view to moving to London to work. During this time he was looking for a physical challenge and saw the opportunity of entering the long-distanced triathlon Ironman UK as a once in a lifetime. Having not swam properly since he was 13 years old and not owning a bike, it was certainly going to be a challenge! In that year Jamie immersed himself in swimming, cycling, running, physiology, strength training, nutrition, sleep & recovery techniques. Jamie completed the Ironman on a Sunday and moved to London on the Tuesday. His new life awaited.

On arrival Jamie joined the local running club and began competing in track, cross country and road team relays all over the UK. It was during this time that Jamie ran the New York Marathon and suffered bad chafing, with no solution on offer Jamie made it his mission, along with Rich, to make sure other runners didn’t suffer the same fate.

As Head of Product at runderwear, Jamie travelled the world to find the best factories and most technical materials, to deliver world class performance underwear.

Now we want to support as many athletes regardless of their sport; run, train and compete chafe-free, blister-free in comfort around the world with our world class underwear, bra’s and socks.

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