Men's Health:
Survival
of the
Fittest

A new branding for the Men's Health annual Obstacle race, Survival of the Fittest

Men's Health magazine tasked me with rebranding their iconic Survival of the Fittest logo for their 10K obstacle race event. With an annual turnout of 25,000 participants across five cities, the #MHSurvival race is renowned for featuring more obstacles per kilometre than any other event of its kind. The race culminates with an 8ft Wall of Fame, a testament to the event's intensity. Our goal was to create a modern, versatile logo that embodies the serious and challenging nature of the event, suitable for various media and merchandise.

The client required the logo to function as a standalone symbol without accompanying text and evoke themes of primal survival. Additionally, it was crucial for the logo to communicate the event’s intensity and seriousness, distinguishing it from more lighthearted fun runs. After initial sketches and discussion, the direction of using a lion to represent the race was agreed upon.

Initial executions were good, but with each stage the logo developed towards the end goal – lion-like, full of energy and power, striking and memorable. Trying to combine the two elements – the lion and the runner – was a constant battle to keep them balanced. Plus the fact that Lion’s are particularly hard to draw!