The company was founded in May 1981 by Rodrigo Rivadeneira. It began as a sporting store chain in Ecuador until 1994, when the
Reebok contract with
Ecuador national football team was set to expire. Marathon Sports subsequently entered into a sponsorship agreement with the
Ecuadorian Football Federation; the duration of the initial contract was not publicly disclosed. This was later renewed in 2016 for a total of
US$ 2.6 million, expiring in 2023. The first national squad jersey design had a band of thick blue and red stripes on the right shoulder reflecting the
flag of Ecuador. After an unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the
FIFA World Cup in
1998, the Ecuadorian Federation decided to stick with the brand. In 2002, Ecuador qualified for its first
FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Marathon Sports has established a presence outside of Ecuador, supplying
Deportivo Municipal of Peru and
Rampla Juniors of Uruguay. Marathon also operates stores in Peru. In 2017, the company signed a contract with the
Peruvian Football Federation to become official shirt supplier of
Peru national team since 2018 for a total of US$ 1.5 million – plus 8 million in sporting goods. The offer largely beat the
Adidas bid, which showed interest in the Peruvian team. ==References==