After years of awkward evolution, multiple names, and a lack of clarity around its identity, the BMW Dallas Marathon approached Matchbox with an ambitious goal: help transform the event into one of the premier marathons in the nation.
The Dallas Marathon had earned respect locally—but respect alone wasn’t enough. To compete on a national level, the event needed an identity that felt bigger, more polished, and more professional, while still remaining welcoming to runners of all levels and unmistakably rooted in Dallas.
Matchbox was brought in to do more than refresh a logo. The mission was to build a brand worthy of the city, capable of rallying runners, sponsors, and the community around a single, confident vision.
Services:
- Brand Positioning
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Identity
- Naming & Copywriting
Results
A Brand That Turned Momentum into a Movement
The new identity launched as part of the 2025 BMW Dallas Marathon—and the response exceeded expectations.
30,000+
runners and walkers across a historic sell-out weekend
50 / 30
states and countries represented
50 / 30
states and countries represented in the 54th marathon
The elevated identity immediately changed how the marathon was perceived. Sponsors responded differently. BMW adopted the new creative across its own marketing efforts, reinforcing the marathon’s credibility on a national stage.
Internally, the shift was just as powerful. The organization finally had a brand it was proud to wear—literally. Hats, jackets, signage, and collateral became symbols of a marathon that had stepped confidently into its next era.
The Challenge
Unify a splintered identity and help the organization—and the city—coalesce around a clear, compelling brand.
The Dallas Marathon needed to be positioned not only as a premier annual running event, but as an inclusive, health- and fitness-focused organization that brings the joy of running to the masses. From elite athletes to first-time runners, spectators, families, and sponsors, and neighbors, the brand had to speak to everyone—without trying to be everything.
Elite Athletes
Positioning as a premier national destination
First-timers
Maintaining an inclusive, welcoming tone
Spectators
Creating a city-wide celebration atmosphere
Sponsors
Signaling scale, professionalism, and value
The Solution
Clarity and confidence became the foundation of the new brand.
After years of confusion between the event name, the organizing body, and the broader series of runs throughout the year, one strategic decision mattered more than any other: focus fully on The BMW Dallas Marathon as the flagship.
To be taken seriously on a national stage, the marathon needed a brand that looked and felt like a major professional sporting event—modern, bold, and instantly recognizable—while still maintaining a strong connection to Dallas and an inclusive tone that welcomed runners of every level.
Matchbox crafted an identity that strikes that balance: serious but not intimidating, polished but not cold, national in stature yet undeniably local.
The result is a brand that reads quickly, feels modern and “sports-forward,” and signals that the Dallas Marathon is not just well loved—it’s exceptionally well executed.
We can’t risk having mediocre designs - they are too important. I’ve always been amazed at how the Matchbox team comes back year after year with fresh new concepts that continue to elevate our brand.
Jason Schuchard
President, BMW Dallas Marathon
The Approach
Marathons aren’t just races—they’re city-wide celebrations.
A truly great marathon becomes a point of pride for its city. A truly successful one becomes part of its identity. After years as the White Rock Marathon and RunDallas Marathon, the event was ready to step onto the biggest stage Dallas has to offer and own the reputation it had worked hard to earn.
To do that, the new identity had to check several boxes:
• Look the part — standing shoulder to shoulder with the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, and Stars
• Feel authentic — rooted in the fabric and history of Dallas
• Be inclusive — welcoming athletes, families, fans, and first-time runners alike
And it had to deliver all of that in a package that was bold, exciting, memorable, and easy to recognize at any scale.
Strategy That Brought Focus
The marathon’s biggest challenge wasn’t awareness—it was fragmentation.
Years of name changes and legacy conventions had diluted the event’s identity and limited its ability to compete nationally. Matchbox pushed the organization to make a decisive move: leave behind years of well-intentioned complexity and commit fully to The BMW Dallas Marathon as the singular, flagship brand.
This strategic focus allowed the marathon to:
Signal legitimacy
To elite runners and national sponsors through a professional sports-forward identity.
Build excitement
And clarity for casual runners and families through bold, energetic messaging.
Establish a platform
For future growth by committing fully to the BMW Dallas Marathon as the singular flagship.
By elevating the marathon itself—rather than spreading attention across competing names—the brand could finally communicate confidence, scale, and professionalism without losing its welcoming spirit.
Putting the Pegasus in Motion
The Dallas Pegasus is one of the city’s most iconic symbols—and a long-standing element of the marathon’s identity. Rather than abandon that legacy, Matchbox reimagined it.
The new mark is built around a bold, forward-moving “D”—a nod to Dallas as “Big D”—with the Pegasus integrated as a dynamic counterform. Inspired by the wings of Mercury, the silhouette no longer stands still. It moves.
This transformation turns a familiar symbol into an expression of speed, momentum, and progress—mirroring both the act of running and the marathon’s evolution into a modern, national-caliber event.
Simple, powerful, and unmistakably Dallas, the mark tells multiple stories at once:
• A city in motion
• An event moving forward
• A legacy carried confidently into the future
Messaging That Motivates
The Dallas Marathon speaks to an unusually broad audience—from elite competitors to first-time runners, walkers, spectators, and families. The messaging had to do the same.
Matchbox developed a system of inspirational, athlete-driven language designed to tap into a universal motivation: the desire to push forward and be better than yesterday.
The tone borrows from the world of elite sports marketing—confident, energetic, and aspirational—while remaining inclusive and approachable. It’s serious without being intimidating. Motivating without feeling exclusive.
Together, the visuals and words position the marathon as a shared experience—one that belongs to every participant and to the city itself.
Take your brand to the next level.
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