This is London October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 38
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KITFOX: RUNNING KIT BUILT FROM
WHAT WOMEN ACTUALLY WANT
‘KitFox was born from my own
frustrations, really,’ says Mary Johnson,
founder of new women's running brand
KitFox. ‘Constantly wrestling with shorts
or leggings, not being able to find my
size, and feeling like I wasn't welcome in
the space because I assumed my body
obviously wasn't a runner's body. I started
a survey because I wanted to know if I was
alone – I wasn't. So many women told me
they felt the same. They'd normalised
discomfort, and made do with kit that just
wasn't good enough. So I set out to create
something just for women, built directly
from their feedback and including all the
features, pockets included, we'd been
calling out for years.’
Johnson says the motivation behind
KitFox was twofold: to create the best
running kit for women, and to give
visibility to her fellow midlife runners. She
was frustrated that friends in their 40s and
50s were running better than ever, yet
weren't being celebrated by brands.
Midlife women rarely feature in
advertising campaigns and she wanted to
change that, KitFox features women from
their 20s to their 60s in its campaigns,
something Johnson says she's especially
proud of.
But it's not just about visibility. It's
about the kit. The debut Reset Collection
includes a 7" running short with a silicone
gripper hem designed to stop it sliding,
seam-free front construction, and three
pockets, a direct response to the pocket
complaints that came up repeatedly in her
survey. ‘The most comfortable running
shorts I've ever worn in nearly 20 years of
running,’ says one early customer.
Running coach and ultrarunner Lily
Canter is equally impressed: ‘These are
now firmly in my list of favourite running
shorts.’
The Reset Legging shares the same fit
and pocket design in a stay-put
waistband, available in sizes UK 8 to 22.
‘Running has grown exponentially
since lockdown, but the industry still has
a very skewed idea of what a runner looks
like. KitFox exists to make sure women
have the kit they need to be comfortable
and confident enjoying the sport they
love,’ says Mary.
Shop the Reset Collection at
runkitfox.com
TENZING FILM NIGHT AT THE RGS
In 1953, the expedition that put the
first two people on the summit of Everest
was planned and funded from a building
on Kensington Gore. On 16 October,
visitors will return to that same building
to, at last, watch the story of Tenzing
Norgay, one of the two men who first
reached the summit of Mount Everest
when Himalayan Trust UK, in
collaboration with Apple TV, presents a
special screening of Tenzing, an Apple
Original Film.
Based on true events and directed by
Jennifer Peedom, Tenzing chronicles the
life of Tenzing Norgay. The world knows
about the expedition team led by Col
John Hunt, the successful ascent
alongside Edmund Hillary, and the
photograph taken on the summit. Far
fewer people know what came before it –
the years of carrying for other men’s
ambitions, the attempts that failed, and
what sustained a lifelong dream through
all of them.
The film features an extraordinary
cast, including Genden Phuntsok as
Tenzing, Tom Hiddleston as Edmund
Hillary, Willem Dafoe as Col John Hunt,
Caitríona Balfe as Jill Henderson, and
Thinley Lhamo as Dawa.
The audience will hear from Norbu
Tenzing, eldest son of Tenzing Norgay
and Rebecca Stephens, Trustee of
Himalayan Trust UK and the first British
woman to climb Everest. There will also
be a short film about the Trust’s work in
Nepal – the schools, teachers and health
services that grew from that first ascent.
Tickets are free of charge from
himalayantrust co.uk
Mary Johnson
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
