A History Of Running
Waiting on the starting line was the worst. Seeing other athletes - seemingly bigger, stronger and more experienced than myself – the nerves were extreme. But with a hunger for success and thirst for competition, performance was inevitable. Overcoming fears, beating records and doing what I didn’t think I could… it was exciting. That joy, that passion, that energy, is what we live for at Ardent.
Since our inception, humans have continued to adapt to perform at revolutionary feet’s. Passion and persistence have laughed in the face of science, and people have continued to achieve the “impossible”.
The 10-second barrier in the 100m was seen as “unbreakable”. Runners were getting faster, but no one could break 10 seconds.
Jim Hines “broke” science in 1968 when he ran an outstanding 9.95 seconds. Forcing the world to re-evaluate what truly was “impossible”, people were inspired, uplifted and reminded that dreamers and achievers aren’t all that different. It took one man to lead the way for the next 140+ to do the “impossible”.
Running 1 mile in 4 minutes was also “impossible”. So many athletes had tried and failed by frustratingly close margins. Roger Bannister broke this barrier in 1954. Since then, the world record has decreased 18 times and running a sub 4-minute mile has become surprisingly ordinary.
At Ardent, we delight in seeing athletes of all ages and participating in every sport, break records and prove the impossible wrong. Asafa Powell breaking the 100m world record in 2006, was the precise event that caused our founder (Tomi) to begin his running career. Ardent wants moments like these to anchor our brand and influence our activities, to allow customers the opportunity to find a passion for sport comparable to ours. Whether their own personal best or a global historic record, we want to empower athletes to believe and achieve. We want to see people grow in confidence as they continue to defy limitations.
Promising the best design, comfort, durability, fit and function, Ardent will continue to remain a pivotal role in extreme sporting endeavour. Limits are suggestions that we at Ardent will continue to defy. With everything that we do, with every design we make and every item we release, we aspire to spread this message. Choosing to wear Ardent is choosing to adopt our mindset, that ultimately, you are what you believe you can be.