 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Textile |
| Founded | 1981; 44 years ago (1981) |
| Founder | Rodrigo Rivadeneira[1] |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | South America |
| Products | Football kit uniforms |
| Website | marathon.ec |
Marathon Sports is anEcuadoriansports equipmentmanufacturing company headquartered inQuito. It was founded in May 1981 by Rodrigo Ribadeneira when he opened his first store.
The company manufactures and distributesathletic sportswear to sports teams and athletes, mainlyassociation football uniforms. In addition to its own products, Marathon imports, distributes, and markets global brands of clothing and accessories, such asAdidas,Nike,Puma,Diadora,Wilson, andJoma. There are currently 88 Marathon Sports-owned stores in Ecuador.
The company was founded in May 1981 by Rodrigo Rivadeneira. It began as a sporting store chain in Ecuador until 1994, when theReebok contract withEcuador national football team was set to expire. Marathon Sports subsequently entered into a sponsorship agreement with theEcuadorian Football Federation; the duration of the initial contract was not publicly disclosed. This was later renewed in 2016 for a total ofUS$ 2.6 million, expiring in 2023.[1] The first national squad jersey design had a band of thick blue and red stripes on the right shoulder reflecting theflag of Ecuador. After an unsuccessful qualifying campaign for theFIFA World Cup in1998, the Ecuadorian Federation decided to stick with the brand.
In 2002, Ecuador qualified for its firstFIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Marathon Sports has established a presence outside of Ecuador, supplyingDeportivo Municipal of Peru andRampla Juniors of Uruguay. Marathon also operates stores in Peru.
In 2017, the company signed a contract with thePeruvian Football Federation to become official shirt supplier ofPeru national team since 2018 for a total of US$ 1.5 million – plus 8 million in sporting goods. The offer largely beat theAdidas bid, which showed interest in the Peruvian team.[2]
Current teams wearing uniforms manufactured by Marathon are:
Always ReadyAuroraThe Strongest
Arriba Perú
Huachipato (From 2024 season)
Barcelona S.C.Independiente del Valle
Universitario
