Yaseen Abdalla represented both Sudan and Oasis Running in the 2024 Olympic Games, finishing 33rd in an outstanding time of 2:11:41 in his remarkable debut at the distance.
While most seniors at Colgate look to graduation as the finish line, TIA programs student Andrew Sullivan ’26 built momentum to take on an industry dominated by giants such as Nike and Under Armour. Sullivan is the co-founder and CFO of Oasis Running, an athletic apparel company that specializes in manufacturing affordable, accessible, and customizable running kits. For Oasis’ co-founders, unity is crucial to the team’s success. But showing up to an invitational only to see three other schools wearing the exact same uniform erodes a team’s unique brand, making athletes feel like it doesn’t even matter what team they’re on.
“Oasis Running is waging a war against boring running uniforms. Right now, custom running uniforms are extremely overpriced and inconvenient, hardly customizable, and the biggest custom uniform companies today hardly care about that part of their business. Many people choose to race in generic running clothing that say nothing about who they are, who they represent, and what they stand for,” expressed Sullivan on the mission behind his venture.
Oasis sales have recently skyrocketed with Sullivan noting that March was the best month the company had since he began fully working on it. Additionally, Sullivan reached a personal record with the sales that he facilitated, demonstrating the positive impact he has had on the company with his contributions so far. It appears other teams are sharing Sullivan’s sentiment that existing running singlet options must be updated.
“It confirms how hard we’ve been working to build the company. And it shows me that we really have a quality product — a lot of those sales were repeat customers. March–April is typically a hot stretch for us, with many teams ordering for the outdoor track season around this time. And I believe we handled the demand well this year. We’ll be doing much more pretty soon. But it’s definitely a milestone worth celebrating,” Sullivan said regarding the record-breaking month.
In his last year at Colgate, Sullivan has had to juggle being an entrepreneur, D1 athlete, and student all while preparing for his post-graduation endeavors. In recent months, he has been focused on setting up Oasis for success by strategizing the company’s expansion in the late-spring and summer seasons. The track and field athlete noted his excitement to implement ideas he has including improving the customer experience and taking content to the next level.
“Right now, I’m setting up the business for success once I graduate. I’m really confident that we can change how people get custom clothing for the better. I have a strong vision of what that looks like, and I plan on focusing on nothing other than making this a reality until I achieve it,” said Sullivan of his plans after Colgate.
As Sullivan prepares to transition from student-athlete to full-time entrepreneur, Oasis Running stands poised to disrupt the industry. Driven by a mission of affordable customization and fueled by record-breaking growth, his vision is clear: to ensure every team can race in gear that truly represents their unique spirit and identity. Colgate Entrepreneurship and Innovation is eager to see what’s next for Oasis Running and will continue to support Sullivan’s passion as an industry disruptor.