MUMBAI, 30 NOVEMBER 2021: Richmond Football Club, 13-time Premiership winners, have announced a new partnership with award winning fan engagement, and wellness company Stepathlon – ‘Race To Tigerland powered by Stepathlon’.
Race To Tigerland is a “Virtual Race” and fan engagement initiative for Richmond FC fans, AFL fans, football fans, sports fans, fitness enthusiasts at heart, in Australia and even “diaspora fans” who may be far away from home but are Tigers fanatics. The initiative is focused to create deeper community engagement and help the fans stay continuously connected with the Club they love.
Race To Tigerland aims to improve the health, and wellbeing of Richmond fans, by motivating everyone, agnostic of fitness level, age, location, gender, as they ‘race virtually’ around the globe finishing at ‘Tigerland’.
Race To Tigerland will be a 90-Day ‘programme’. Fans will be able to participate via a free app, which will encourage them to take a minimum of 10,000 steps per day and adopt and maintain a healthier lifestyle in 2022.
Participants will move around a ‘Virtual Racecourse’ through real life steps and other activities combined with Gamification, Engagement, Rewards and Recognition.
Participants can walk, jog, or run to accumulate their steps using the Stepathlon platform and log them via their smartphones or other compatible devices, including Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin etc., as they race around the globe and compete with fans everywhere and anywhere.
The race promises to deliver prizes, fun indoor and outdoor activities, virtual experiences, celebrity interaction, online and offline contests and challenges and content focused on the 3 pillars of wellness – Movement, Nutrition and Mental Health.
Speaking about the race, Brandon Gale, Richmond FC’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Connecting with fans has never been more important. The Tigers will continue to provide new, innovative, and immersive ways, as we adopt initiatives to engage and expand our fanbase, regardless of their geographical location. Working with Stepathlon gives us a meaningful way to empower and engage Tigers fans to take ownership of their health and wellbeing”.
Adding to this, Simon Matthews, Richmond FC’s Chief Marketing Officer alsosaid: “We are excited to bring this unique initiative, to the most loyal, and supportive fanbase in the AFL. We are eager to showcase our men’s and women’s team, as well our storied club legends, to give fans a closer, and more personal view behind the scenes of the club they love and support. We truly appreciate the continued love and support of our fans. Our endeavor is to make 2022 a great year for Tigers fans, on and off the field.”
“I am personally and professionally pleased to announce this partnership with Richmond, as I have been a Tiger fan since I was five years old. In fact, supporting Richmond helped me assimilate to the ‘Aussie Life’. I am a proud Tiger, and I am proud of this association. Stepathlon is committed to creating healthier, happier, and more productive Tiger, AFL and sports fans wherever they are., Executive Chairman and Founder Stepathlon, Ravi Krishnan said.
About Stepathlon
Stepathlon is a unique fan engagement and data platform that effectively combines health and wellness and social participation. It’s global, mass participation format motivates participants to take 10,000 steps a day, by providing them with an inclusive wellbeing engagement platform.
The Stepathlon format aims to break the cycle of sedentary behavior and help people understand and manage their health and wellbeing, by rewarding them for achieving their health goals.
Over the past decade, Stepathlon has helped corporates and rights holders i.e., sports teams, leagues, events etc., engaging over 650,000 participants from over 100 countries across the globe.
Stepathlon recently concluded a Race with Manchester City FC titled Nexen Road to Manchester City, which saw over 100,000 participants from 112 countries take part in a 100-day initiative. The Race delivered over 16 million impressions, 25,000 pieces of user generated content and positive outcomes for participants i.e., 72% of the participants slept better and 78% of the participants lost weight.
About Richmond FC
Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football team playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Between its inception in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 1885 and 1907, the club competed in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), winning two premierships. Richmond joined the Victorian Football League (now known as the AFL) in 1908 and has since won 13 premierships, most recently in 2020.
Richmond’s headquarters and training facilities are located at its original home ground, the Punt
Road Oval, which sits adjacent to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the club’s playing home since
1965. Richmond traditionally wears a black guernsey with a yellow sash. The club song, “We’re From
Tigerland”, is well known for its “yellow and black” refrain.
The club is coached by Damien Hardwick. Five Richmond players have been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame as “Legends” of the sport: Kevin Bartlett, Jack Dyer, Royce Hart, Kevin Sheedy and Ian Stewart.
