Situation / Challenge

Since 2015, the U.S. Army has turned to Sage to oversee branding, marketing, and PR activities to support the Army Ten-Miler (ATM) Race and Expo.  One of the nation’s most popular ten-mile road races, the ATM brings more than 35,000 runners from around the world to the District of Columbia.

Sage’s relationship with the ATM originally started with five feature articles for the 2015 race program, but has since grown to include primary design responsibilities for each yearly edition, including a themed logo. In this role, Sage produces collateral materials such as pocket guides, post-race postcards, a finisher race certificate, print advertisements and a race calendar; facilitates pre- and post-event media coverage; and provides on-site support on race day. Sage also provides design support for the ATM shadow races held on military bases around the world. 

The U.S. Army expanded this scope of work in subsequent years to include a revisit of the ATM website and improvements to the user experience. 

Our Strategic Approach

Sage’s goal was to create a more intuitive, resilient site — one that could withstand 10,000+ hits during peak periods while making it easier for stakeholders to find key event information.

Sage began development by conducting a full website audit that involved several online focus groups. Based on our findings, we made extensive renovations to the site’s navigation, hierarchy, and content. We implemented user-led design and an intuitive content architecture, applying a “Mobile First” strategy to optimize the user experience.

Sage also crafted a supporting social media campaign designed to grow followers while enhancing SEO. All online components reflected an entirely new look and feel that evoked the race’s signature “Hooah!” spirit.

Sage also spearheaded production and delivery of branded collateral pieces, including the 2018 race logo, t-shirt, program, finisher coin, certificates, signage, and print and online ads.

Results

The refreshed website and annual collateral continue to be well received by stakeholders across the race’s ecosystem, from runners and soldiers to top U.S. military brass. The refreshed brand appears in sync across all channels, creating a unified look and feel that’s recognizable to runners at every touch point.

The new website reflects clear, easily digestible content paired with user-centered design, making it easier for runners and spectators to get answers to common questions. As a result, the ATM office has experienced a year-over-year reduction of 80+% in call inquiries.

The field of 35,000 runners typically sells out within weeks, with each year’s participation building on the previous year. When COVID struck in 2020, Sage spearheaded a shift to a fully virtual event, creating additional materials to support runners participating on their own.