September 30, 2005
BOSTON, September 30, 2005 – Official footwear and apparel sponsor New Balance will offer multiple elements for both runners and spectators around the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon to be held Sunday October 9:
? New for 2005 - New Balance will unveil a special "marathon of names" wall on Tuesday October 4th on 100 feet of windows on Michigan Avenue's Chicago Hilton to offer tribute to the 40,000 marathon runners in the 2005 event. The display area will also feature a Countdown Clock that will track the time leading up to the marathon and the official marathon time as well.
? This year's official marathon apparel line offers a wide range of performance pieces featuring advanced technologies to keep runners dry from the elements, provide wind resistance, and offer mobility and moisture transfer. Garments include the official race jacket, shorts, long and short-sleeved tees as well as fleece tops for both men and women. The 2005 official marathon apparel colors are cherry/pucker up pink/black for women and copen blue/black for men. There are also several "Curb Crew" pieces for spectators.
? On the footwear side, New Balance will also feature the 1060 (cushioning), 719 (stability) and 901 (lightweight) technical running shoes during the 2005 event to highlight how no one shoe meets the needs of all runners.
? On Friday and Saturday of race weekend, New Balance will have 18 "live statues" in Michigan Avenue area locations and at the Health & Fitness Expo that feature local runners in official marathon gear to highlight the spirit, determination and personal stories of Chicago-area runners.
? Several Team New Balance elite athletes will run Chicago this year, either as racers or pacers. These include Evans Rutto, the 2003 and 2004 Chicago Champion, Timothy Cherigat, the 2004 Boston Champion, and Paul Koech, who placed 2nd at Chicago in 2003. Khalid Khannouchi, the 4-time Chicago Champion, will also participate in race weekend events.
? New Balance will offer donation bins at the Health & Fitness Expo for new and gently-used footwear/apparel items that will then be donated to Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims.
? New Balance extended their current "For Love or Money" campaign with creative that is specific to the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and its runners. The creative is appearing on Chicago-area bus shelters and will be part of the company's Health & Fitness Expo booths.
A marathon sponsor since 1997, New Balance pioneered the modern long-distance running shoe with the introduction of the Trackster and is the premier manufacturer of width-sized, intelligently-designed, technically advanced U.S.-engineered footwear designed expressly for serious performers. We are also the only athletic shoe company to currently manufacture footwear in the U.S. Please visit www.newbalance.com.
