Rest is not the opposite of progress.
It's part of it.
Rest Day began with a simple question: what would running look like if rest were celebrated as much as the miles? This is the story of how we found the answer.
It started on a run. Like most things do.
I'd been running for years. And somewhere along the way I'd convinced myself that rest was something you earned - not something that was built into the process. I wore tiredness like a badge. I ignored the signs. I pushed through things I should have sat with.
Eventually, something gave. And in the quiet that followed, I started thinking about how much of running culture quietly reinforces that mindset. The idea that more is always better. That a missed day is a failure. That your worth as a runner is tied to your pace.
I didn't have all the answers. I still don't. But I wanted to build a community around that question - one where people could be honest about the full picture of what it means to be a runner.
Rest Day launched on 24th June 2025. Within two minutes we had our first sale. Within an hour, eighteen of you had placed an order. We haven't looked back since.
I had the idea. Kim made it real.
My wife Kim doesn't run - but she believed in this idea just as much as I did. While I'm out on the miles, Kim is the one making everything happen behind the scenes. Every tee you've ever ordered from us has been printed and packed by her, by hand, at home in Worcestershire.
Neither of us came from a marketing background. We didn't know what a DTC funnel was. We built this on top of full-time jobs, learning everything as we went - email flows, social strategy, product, operations. Late nights and wrong turns included.
We built it because we believed in it. And every time someone messages to say Rest Day gave them permission to slow down - we know exactly why we started.
- Dan & Kim, Rest Day
The values we run on.
These aren't brand values written in a boardroom. They're the things we genuinely believe - and the reason Rest Day exists.
- Running should enhance your life, not consume it.
- Rest isn't the absence of movement. It's the absence of pressure.
- Wellbeing matters as much as performance.
- The best runs aren't always the fastest ones.
- Progress isn't measured by pace alone.
- The run ends. The mindset doesn't.
Every order. Every time.
of every single order is donated to Mind - the leading mental health charity supporting people across England and Wales. Not as a campaign. Not occasionally. Always. It's not a marketing tool. It's a commitment.
Learn more about MindOne year. A lot of miles.
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May 2025
The idea is dreamt up on an evening run
One run, nothing special, but the idea almost fully formed whilst on an evening run. Returning home to tell Kim, "I think I want to start a clothing brand", (you should have seen her face!
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June 2025
Rest Day launches
First sale within two minutes. Eighteen orders in the first hour. We didn't sleep much that night.
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Summer 2025
The community starts to grow
Runners from across the UK finding us - not through ads, but through word of mouth and a message that resonated.
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Autumn 2025
First donation to Mind
Every order since day one has contributed. Seeing that number grow has been one of the most meaningful parts of this journey.
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May 2026
3,500+ runners in the community,
What started as an idea on a run has become something real. A community of people who believe the quiet days matter just as much as the long ones.
Ready to join the community?
4,000+ runners. One shared belief. Rest is not the opposite of progress - it's part of it.
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