FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York Road Runners Launches NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run
Hub Conveniently Located in Manhattan
NYRR RUNCENTER will feature special 1 for You 1 for Youth shoe donation
program and exclusive New Balance Test Run initiative
New York, NY and Boston, MA - January 11, 2017-New York Road Runners'
(NYRR) mission to help and inspire people through running has been brought
to life in a new community running center. The NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the
New Balance Run Hub is open in Manhattan as the new home for runners of all
ages and abilities throughout the five boroughs and beyond. The NYRR
RUNCENTER will also feature the 1 for You 1 for Youth shoe donation
program, benefitting NYRR youth runners in New York City and nationwide.
The NYRR RUNCENTER serves as the strategic next step in the year-round
alliance with New Balance, which was announced in December 2015.
"We are so excited to bring the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the NB Run Hub to
our extraordinary running community," said Michael Capiraso, president and
CEO of New York Road Runners. "Our mission is to inspire our community, and
those coming to NYC to run, to come together to improve their health and
well-being through running, and enjoy the diverse events, programs, and
offerings at the RUNCENTER. We are especially looking forward to positively
impacting thousands of young runners with our 1 for You 1 for Youth shoe
donation program, as part of our exciting new partnership with New
Balance."
The NYRR RUNCENTER is home to the 1 for You 1 for Youth* program. For each
pair of shoes purchased at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the NB Run Hub, New
Balance will donate a pair of shoes to NYRR's youth programs. New York Road
Runners will give the shoes to a participant in the programs. In
celebration of the opening of the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance
Run Hub, 100+ pairs of shoes were donated to youth runners from across New
York City's five boroughs. 215,000 youth are served nationally through
NYRR's free youth running programs and events, including 115,000 in New
York City's five boroughs.
The NYRR RUNCENTER, located at 320 West 57th Street, is conveniently
situated just southwest of Columbus Circle near Central Park with access to
multiple public transportation options, making it highly accessible from
all five boroughs. The NYRR RUNCENTER will serve as the spot for weekly
race number pickup, showcase the latest in running education, training, and
innovation, host a variety of running-related events and programs, and
serve as a meeting place for all members of the running community,
including youth, adult runners of all ages and abilities, and club teams.
The NYRR RUNCENTER will include numerous areas for runner engagement:
- NYRR Running Lab powered by TCS - Home of course strategy sessions
led by NYRR coaches, and touch screens that allow runners to search
for TCS New York City Marathon race results and view weekly course
display maps.
- Borough Steps - Bleacher-style seating for approximately 100 people
that will provide runners a place to sit for events and programs at
the Running Lab, as well as a space to gather before runs and charge
their mobile devices with charging stations powered by TCS. The
steps feature five-borough plaques that include borough-specific
experiences.
- Lockers - 78 lockers available for day use to those looking to store
their belongings while out on a run.
- Four changing rooms (three on the ground floor, one on the mezzanine).
- NB Run Hub - On the mezzanine level, the NB Run Hub will offer
a wide variety of innovative footwear, apparel, and accessories and
exclusive programming. As NYRR's footwear and apparel partner,
New Balance will provide event participants with associated event
premium items (e.g., race shirts, hats, socks) that will be
distributed in the Premium Pickup Station at the RUNCENTER.
- NB Test Run - Inside the NB Run Hub, participants will have the
opportunity to try out the latest NB gear and technology, often
before it launches anywhere else in the world.
"We are excited to take this next step with NYRR and open the NB Run Hub in
NYC as we bring our year-round relationship into full engagement in 2017,"
says New Balance president and CEO Rob DeMartini. "This location will be
the pinnacle expression of New Balance Performance Running, offering the
most innovative gear and programming such as exclusive product launches,
special events, clinics and the opportunity to meet and learn from the
athletes of Team NB. We look forward to working together with NYRR to help
improve the lives of athletes who come and run the streets of New York."
In addition, the NYRR RUNCENTER is home to some of the latest digital
innovations, including interactive programming featuring Team NB Athlete,
five-time 5th Avenue Mile champion and Olympic medalist Jenny Simpson. The
Run for Life touch screen wall will allow users to perform exercises along
with Jenny in a dynamic fashion and receive feedback in real-time regarding
form and performance.
The opening is part of a relationship between NYRR and New Balance which
gradually launched initiatives throughout 2016, and reaches full engagement
in 2017. The relationship covers a wide range of areas including event
sponsorship, youth programming and global licensing, as well as e-commerce
and retail rights for footwear and apparel. The alliance brings together
one of the world's premier community running organizations and a leading
athletic brand to serve the global running community in innovative and
inspiring ways.
In 2017, New Balance became an NYRR Foundation Partner and the Official
Athletic Footwear and Apparel Partner of NYRR. The year-round engagement
features sponsorship of the NYRR Five-Borough Series (United Airlines NYC
Half, Airbnb Brooklyn Half, NYRR Queens 10K, New Balance Bronx 10 Mile, and
NYRR Staten Island Half), NYRR Heritage Races (NYRR New York Mini 10K, New
Balance 5th Avenue Mile, and NYRR Midnight Run) and the TCS New York City
Marathon. New Balance is also a sponsor of NYRR's weekly races, as well as
the exclusive producer of all race shirts for runners throughout the year,
a first for NYRR. New Balance also manages NYRR's e-commerce platform.
Gensler Architecture, Design & Planning, P.C. was the lead architecture
firm for the NYRR RUNCENTER.
The NYRR RUNCENTER will be open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m., Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m. The NB Run Hub will be open Monday through Friday from 10:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
About New York Road Runners
Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club
to the world's premier community running organization, whose mission is to
help and inspire people through running. NYRR's commitment to New York
City's five boroughs features races, community events, youth running
initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds
of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the
motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR's premier
event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City
Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features
50,000 runners, from the world's top professional athletes to a vast range
of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS) is the Premier Partner of New York Road Runners. To learn
more, visit www.nyrr.org.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission:
Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes
are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud
to host. New Balance is the only major company to make or assemble more
than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which
represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is
at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. New Balance owns five
factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more
than 5,000 associates around the globe, and in 2015 reported worldwide
sales of $3.72 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit
www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit
http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
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