Run commuting in style: Testing out a record-breaking Ministry of Supply suit
We put the performance-based Ministry of Supply suit to the test recently in Toronto to see how the menswear product would fare on a run.
Since Nicholas Mizera broke the Guinness world record for running a half-marathon in a suit at October’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, suit running has become increasingly popular.
And while most people may think that a suited runner in a race is late for work or late for a meeting rather than being in the midst of a record attempt, the record has officially been improved by more than 10 minutes in a five-month span.
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As of April 29, the world record is held by Gihan Amarasiriwardena, the co-founder of the menswear company, Ministry of Supply. Two men have run faster in a suit, however, including Rex Woodbury, a Wall Street analyst, and Yuki Kawauchi, an elite-level marathon runner from Japan. Those times have yet to be ratified by Guinness, according to the official records page.
Ministry of Supply is a high-performance menswear brand based in Boston and was founded in 2012 by former Massachusetts Institute of Technology students. Amarasiriwardena ran 1:24 for the half-marathon in a suit in December, which begged the question, “How does it feel to run in a suit?” and “How fast is a Ministry of Supply suit?”
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Amarasiriwardena said after the race that the goal of the record was to raise brand awareness and noted that “if our suit can break a Guinness world record, it can handle anything our customer goes through on a normal day.” Not only did Amarasiriwardena run fast, he looked pretty darn good in the process. See a race photo below:
Canadian Running put a Ministry of Supply suit to the test by taking it for a run around Toronto. In a traffic-abundant city like Toronto, the largest city in Canada, run commuting can often be faster than driving or taking public transit.
Outfit
Jacket: Aviator 2 jacket (US$350)
Shirt: Apollo dress shirt (US$95)
Pants: Aviator 2 pants (US$140)
Socks: Atlas dress socks ($US15)
Shoes: Nike Zoom Structure Triax ($155)
Performance
Right out of the box, it’s apparent that the suit is performance-based as the Apollo shirt and Atlas dress socks appear to be the type of material that you would find at a running store. Breathable, stretchy, and soft, ideal for running.
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The Apollo 2 jacket and pants are of similar design and build. The Aviator 2 features four-way stretch material, which means that it’s appropriate for conditions as tough as running, and lighter use including office wear. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the Apollo 2 jacket had a non-traditional, snap-and-slide button system.
As can be seen in the video, Canadian Running took the suit for a run in negative temperatures and the suit regulated body temperature very well. Specifically, the Apollo dress shirt felt like a dri-fit shirt that runners would regularly wear, with moisture-wicking and breathable attributes. The shirt Canadian Running tested was blue but Ministry of Supply also offers the shirt in six additional colourways.
Though the company has a brick-and-mortar on Newbury Street in Boston, the company sells much of its product online. One tip would be to size down as the material is slim-fitted compared to more traditional menswear clothing lines.
Just a stop away from the weekend. #aviator2 #mosxnyc ?: @aundre
A photo posted by Ministry of Supply (@ministryofsupply) on
Thinking about run commuting? Here are subway stations maps of Toronto and Vancouver that offer a general guideline of how long it would take to get to each location if one was to run.
RELATED: Here’s how long it would take to run between Toronto subway stations.
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