Flagstaff, altitude and America's next big thing
We headed to running's American altitude capital to find out why Diadora chose Flagstaff for its "High Mileage Summer" campaign — and landed one of NCAA track's most exciting young talents as its first NIL athlete.
A strong brand heritage alone is no longer the only element required to keep a running brand relevant in a shoe business as cut and thrust as a 1500m track race.
Italian brand Diadora are hoping that by combining their history with what is becoming an annual month-long activation in Flagstaff, and by signing American middle-distance athlete Simeon Birnbaum on a NIL contract, they can capture the imagination of college athletes and beyond.
There are few places in the world where stepping out for an easy morning run means you could find yourself sharing the trail with Olympic champions, world record holders and future NCAA stars. Flagstaff, Arizona, is one of them.
Sitting at almost 7000 feet above sea level, this quiet mountain town has quietly earned a reputation as one of the greatest distance running destinations on the planet. Flagstaff has become the North American equivalent of Iten in Kenya and St. Moritz in Switzerland, a place where the world’s best come to prepare for their biggest races.
Flagstaff's rise as an altitude training destination can be traced back to the build-up for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Its elevation closely matched Mexico City's, while its dry climate, extensive network of forest roads and reliable sunshine made it ideal for high-mileage training. What began as a temporary solution soon became a tradition. Athletes returned year after year, and they discovered there was far more to Flagstaff than simply altitude.
At around 2,100 metres above sea level, the air contains significantly less oxygen. Initially, every run feels harder. Even experienced runners quickly discover that their normal training pace demands considerably more effort. However, over time, the body begins to adapt, producing more red blood cells and increasing its ability to transport oxygen through the body. Returning to lower elevations, athletes experience improved endurance and aerobic performance.
Sports scientists generally agree on the 2,000–2,500 metre range as the "sweet spot" for altitude training, making Flagstaff almost perfectly positioned. With lower elevations around Sedona and the Verde Valley being only a short drive away, athletes can also use the popular "live high, train low" approach, living at altitude while completing harder sessions where oxygen levels are higher.
While other locations sit at a similar elevation, Flagstaff offers other elements perfect for runners. The climate is consistent, with warm sunny days, cool mornings and relatively low humidity throughout much of the year. Summers remain comfortable compared with many parts of the United States, allowing high-quality training when much of the country is battling extreme heat. The terrain is equally diverse. Within minutes, runners can choose from soft cinder trails through towering ponderosa pine forests, fast dirt roads, technical mountain singletrack, rolling gravel paths and world-class athletics facilities.
Buffalo Park has become one of the most recognisable training venues in American distance running, while Lake Mary Road has hosted countless marathon workouts. Nearby trails climb towards Mount Elden and Humphreys Peak, offering endless variety for both road runners and trail specialists.
Flagstaff is also the home of Northern Arizona University (NAU). The success of NAU has created an extraordinary running culture throughout the town. College athletes regularly train alongside professionals, while visiting internationals often share local trails with recreational runners simply enjoying an evening jog.
The list of athletes who have trained in Flagstaff reads like a who's who of international distance running, with it being a regular retreat for Mo Farah when competing and recently Jake Wightman. In fact, when I asked Birnbaum which athletes first inspired him as a runner, it was Farah’s 2012 efforts that he quoted.
Flagstaff has developed a welcoming and collaborative culture. Visitors often comment that it's one of the few places where an amateur runner can join a local trail run and end up chatting with an Olympian afterwards.
Flagstaff has earned a reputation as a running mecca not through marketing, but because generations of the world's finest runners have consistently chosen the town to prepare for their greatest performances among its forests, mountains and high desert
Flagstaff's running culture inspires Diadora
Perhaps the strongest indication of Flagstaff's global influence is that running brand Diadora has chosen it as a location to host a month-long activation, allowing runners to immerse themselves in the culture.
Its "Normalise High Mileage" campaign is centred in Flagstaff. Rather than focusing on elite performances or race-day success, it celebrates the months of consistent training that form the foundation of every great runner.
The philosophy is simple: for dedicated runners, high mileage isn't extraordinary; it's simply normal.
There could hardly be a more fitting backdrop than Flagstaff. Every summer, thousands of collegiate athletes, professionals and recreational runners descend on the town to build their aerobic base ahead of the autumn cross-country season and winter marathon campaigns. Here, running isn't an event; it's part of everyday life.
Diadora's “High Mileage Summer” transformed this idea into a month-long community celebration. Working alongside the store, Run Flagstaff, the brand opened a pop-up hub in downtown Flagstaff that became far more than a retail space. Morning group runs, Workout Wednesdays, long runs, and social gatherings create a space where elite performers and everyday runners mix as equals. The culture is built not around exclusivity, but around a shared appreciation for the process of training.
That is the essence of "Normalise High Mileage", and perhaps the best explanation yet of why Flagstaff has become one of the world's great running capitals.
American middle-distance running sensation Simeon Birnbaum joins Diadora
Despite studying at the University of Oregon and being located in the home of some of the world’s biggest running brands, when it came to selecting a Name Image and Likeness (NIL) partner, record-setting Oregon NCAA All-American Simeon Birnbaum looked to Diadora and became their first NIL athlete. Over a few training runs with the brand’s team in Flagstaff, Arizona, a partnership was born.
“When I saw what the team was doing, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of," says Birnbaum.
Speaking volumes about Birnbaum’s approach to his running career and his confidence in Diadora’s products and athlete support, all of which will be essential as he chases the highest levels of the sport. “The brand’s goals in running really line up with what I want to achieve,” he says.
Birnbaum’s high school career included breaking 4 minutes in the mile as a junior and running 3:37.93 in the 1500m, the second‑fastest time ever by an American high school athlete.
As a first-year at Oregon, he won the 5000m at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in a meet record 13:31.87. He is an All-American in cross country and the Oregon record holder at 3000m indoors (7:39). With a PR of 3:37 for the 1500m and seventh place at NCAA nationals in 2025, he’s emerged as one of the most exciting athletes of his generation, defined by his immense talent, fearless racing, and signature style.
Looking to the future, Birnbaum is singularly focused on excelling in the furnace of competition that is the NCAA. “I want to win titles,” he says. “I’m focused on being the best for those championship races in March and June.”
I asked him which athletes he had most recently admired in the middle distances and it came as no surprise that he mentioned Jakob Ingebrigtsen. When probing how he might feel about possibly facing Ingebrigtsen on the Diamond League circuit next year, he replied with the enthusiasm only a 21-year-old could, perhaps not yet fully aware of his great potential, “Hey man, just bring it on.”
Running in Flagstaff
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