The Finnish sportswear brand Karhu will be the official supplier of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June.
This agreement represents a connection with the past thanks to the full involvement of Franco Arese who has led the Karhu company for ten years. Arese is a former athlete and he won the gold medal in the 1500m at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki in 1971.
"Karhu was the sponsor of the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki and more than 50 years later will return to Rome. This is a perfect link between the most important success of my career as an athlete, the gold in the 1500m, in Helsinki, and Italy, my country,” said Arese, the Chairman of Karhu.
Karhu will be responsible for the production and supply of clothing for the officials, members of the local organising committee and volunteers who will contribute to the success of the Rome 2024 European Athletics Championships.
In addition, the Finnish company will produce the official merchandising material for the event, which will go on sale in the coming months, and will also be available in the stores of the Commercial Village outside the Olympic Stadium during the championships.
Karhu, which means ‘bear’ in Finnish, is a leading brand that has been making and supplying technical running and outdoor clothing for a century. The company has a long history in athletics and a deep connection with outdoor activity and the environment.
Karhu shoes have been worn by some of Finland's greatest athletes including the legendary distance runner Paavo Nurmi, a winner of nine Olympic gold medals in the 1920s, as well as five winners of the Boston Marathon.