Painting the Town Green

This week on The Wrap from Heatsheets, it’s all about the green stuff. Shamrocks, of course! Race season is back in full swing this spring and this last weekend we painted the Windy City green for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K race and expo.

This expo, at the beautiful and expansive McCormick Place convention center on Lake Michigan, was the first to feature our new starting line warming initiative. Since Heatsheets’s inception, we’ve stressed the importance of post-race warming to stave off injury and hypothermia. But what about pre-race?

For those anxious starting corral minutes when runners are standing in the early morning cold, Heatsheets now offers race blankets and ponchos at select pre-race expo events. Why buy clothes you’re going to toss when you get running when you can buy a designated warming product that will be collected and recycled?

Hundreds of racers purchased pre-race warming gear in anticipation of the cold and rainy race day forecast, some expressing excitement that buying a blanket or a poncho to toss after the start would let them keep the finish blanket as a memento.

Heatsheets President Chris Falk talking starting line warming at the 2015 Shamrock Shuffle Expo.

“One customer was actually planning on bringing their [finish line] blanket from last year’s Chicago Marathon and was pretty thrilled to purchase one from us so they could save the old one” said Heatsheets President, Chris Falk while selling gear at the expo on Friday.

“We’re also hearing a lot about Boston,” said Melissa Cooney, Event Sales Director. “Lots of people have asked if we’re going to make this available there next month.” Don’t worry Boston, we’ve got you covered! Stay tuned for how to get your Boston Marathon warming gear online soon.

23,000 participants shuffled their way through Chicago on Sunday, in the colorful manor this unique race has come to expect.

Sweet Victories in Savannah

In other racing news, this weekend also saw the inaugural run of the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K. According to the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, 2,300 participants took on the race through scenic, Spanish moss-laden downtown Savannah, Georgia. Fitness blogger Claudia Deen and her running partner even let the world know about her new personal record, while sporting a Heatsheet no less!

Cut From a Different Cloth

And lastly, Heatsheets leading-edge Ultraflect™ insulation fabric received honors in this year’s FabricLink Network Top 10 Innovation Awards. Ultraflect™ is our reflective, lightweight polyester woven insulation fabric featuring Heatsheets’ Silver Lining® technology. This year’s Top 10 winners include innovative manufacturing and production technologies, novel insulation solutions, and advancements in textiles for a variety of markets.