1 Day, 1 Million Runners, 25 Cities, 25 Top Musical Acts Join in
Unprecedented New Race Experience
BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2008--Nike (NYSE:NKE)
today announced the Nike+ Human Race, the world's biggest one day
running event ever, offering runners across the globe the chance to
compete together on August 31, 2008. The 10k event will span multiple
continents and cover 25 cities, including LA, New York, London,
Madrid, Paris, Istanbul, Melbourne, Shanghai, Sao Paulo and Vancouver.
Following races in each city, participants will be treated to an
exclusive music concert featuring one of today's top artists.
Runners everywhere can join today by visiting www.nikeplus.com to
"Save A Spot" in their city of choice; registration officially opens
on June 2. Runners outside of the 25 race cities can also still
participate and run in their hometown by using Nike+. With Nike+ iPod
and Nike+ Sport Band, runners can track their miles and sync.
"The Nike+ Human Race is about inspiring and connecting a million
runners worldwide," said Trevor Edwards, Nike Vice President for Brand
and Category Management. "We're offering runners new ways to compete
and race, courses through legendary landmarks, each ending with a
headlining musical act. It's an unprecedented way for us to bring an
entirely new running experience to consumers around the globe."
Each city's race will start on the same day, with the first race
kicking off in Taipei and the last ending in LA. Race courses take
runners by famous landmarks such as the famed LA Coliseum, Taipei 101
(the world's tallest building), Mexico City's historic center and the
Puerta del Sol in Madrid. Istanbul's race course will span the city's
famous Bosphorus Bridge, closing it to car traffic to literally allow
participants to run from Europe to Asia and back again.
Pre-race and race day activities will include top Nike athletes
such as seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong in Austin,
Texas, six-time marathon winner and current NY Marathon Champion,
Paula Radcliffe in London, England, Beijing gold medal hopeful Craig
Mottram, attending in Melbourne, Australia and Korea's Yuna Kim, Grand
Prix Final Gold medalist in Seoul.
"Having just completed the Boston Marathon, I believe that running
is one of the greatest expressions of human potential," Armstrong
said. "As a committed runner, I'm proud to be participating in the
Nike+ Human Race and encourage runners of all levels to join the
global running community through this event."
Nikeplus.com will be the official destination for the Nike+ Human
Race and for all pre-race training needs. Here, runners can learn more
about new training gear like the Nike Zoom Victory+, Nike's latest
performance training shoe featuring Flywire, its lightest and
strongest new footwear construction technology or stay motivated by
checking out the latest Nike+ Sport Music offerings. Sport Music
offers runners the best in original Training Run and Coaching Mixes
designed specifically for treadmill and road runs.
As part of the Nike+ Human Race, runners will be able to run for a
cause to help support and give back to the global community.
For more information on the Nike+ Human Race and a complete
listing of race cities visit www.nikeplus.com.
About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading
designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear,
apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and
fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse
Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear,
apparel and accessories; Cole Haan Holdings Incorporated, which
designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories
and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football
(soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets
and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel
and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.
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CONTACT: Nike NY Media Relations
1-212-367-4447
SOURCE: NIKE, Inc.