Performance footwear brand R.A.D has announced the return of its interactive fitness competition, Acid Athletics, for its third year. The competition, which initially launched in 2024, invites the brand’s community to participate in a benchmark workout at their local gyms over a six-week period across the UK, US, and Europe.
The 2026 edition follows a 2025 season that saw approximately 140,000 participants take part across more than 1,000 gyms worldwide. This year, the Portland, OR, based company will host exclusive gym takeovers and events in London, Manchester, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, and Austin, TX.
R.A.D was founded in 2019 by Ben Massey, a former CrossFit competitor and gym owner. The brand aims to blend skate and surf culture with high-performance footwear, and it has recently expanded its reach with the launch of the R.A.D Running line.
The core mission of Acid Athletics is to celebrate the training community, allowing gym-goers to test their fitness levels against other members. The 2026 benchmark workout consists of:
- 10 shuttle runs
- 50 wall balls
- 10 shuttle runs
- 50/40 calorie ski
For every gym that hosts the workout, the top male and female winners, along with a nominated ‘MVP’ member, will receive a pair of the brand’s training shoes.
Adam Klink, Director of Community & Partnerships at R.A.D, said “The reception we received for Acid Athletics last year was insane and we can’t wait to see it roll out even bigger this year. We exist to serve the training community and the incredible network of gyms and coaches they are a part of so it’s really exciting for us to be able to provide this for them.”
The competition window opened on April 20, 2026. The brand added that it has recently been building sales momentum within the grassroots training community through its drop-based model and focus on balancing style with technical function.
