Men's Health Brings Urbanathlon & Festival to Chicago on October 20, 2007

    CHICAGO, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Men's Health will expand its signature
 event, the Men's Health Urbanathlon(TM) & Festival, to Chicago this year on
 October 20, 2007. Previously only offered in New York, the unique race
 concept utilizes an urban "playing field" in which traditional race
 elements are combined with obstacle course components in iconic city
 landmarks. The day-long event will incorporate the race and a free festival
 open to the public. Athletes ready to tackle the streets and landmarks of
 Chicago can register now at http://menshealthurbanathlon.com.
     The race will begin at Butler Field in Grant Park with participants
 running north and then east to the Lake Shore Bike Path. Heading north on
 the Bike Path they will run the perimeter of Navy Pier on their way to
 North Avenue Beach where athletes will circle around and head back south en
 route to Northerly Island. From there, they will dash to Soldier Field for
 a stair climb up and down the stands and then north to the finish at Butler
 Field. "Urban" obstacles will challenge racers at several points though the
 race, from culvert crawls to a scaffolding maze and more. The race is
 approximately 12 miles long and can be executed as a solo or as a 3-person
 relay.
     The race finishes with a day-long festival that features live
 entertainment, health and wellness expos, interactive sports, concessions,
 sampling and demonstrations by a range of vendors.
     The Dodge brand renewed their sponsor status for both the New York and
 Chicago events and will have the All-New 2008 Dodge Avenger serve as
 Presenting Sponsor (the All-New 2008 Dodge Avenger hit dealerships in
 Spring 2007). Additionally, ESQ SWISS will serve as the official
 time-keeping sponsor and Crocs will serve as the official casual footwear
 sponsor. Crunch Fitness is the event's national gym partner and will be
 offering classes germane to the race. Additional sponsors are currently
 being secured.
     The Men's Health Urbanathlon(TM) & Festival will make a contribution to
 the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), a national charity that empowers
 disabled athletes around the world.
     About Men's Health
     Men's Health is the largest men's lifestyle magazine brand in the world
 with 36 editions and a worldwide readership of 18.5 million. Published 10
 times a year in the U.S. by Rodale, Men's Health speaks to every aspect of
 a man's life, providing its readers with the latest information on health,
 fitness, fashion, nutrition, relationships, travel, gear and money. Men's
 Health was named to Adweek's "Hot List" of top-ten magazines ('04, '05);
 Advertising Age's "A-List" for general excellence ('03, '04); a Capell's
 Circulation Report "Best Newsstand Performer of the Decade" ('04) and
 top-ten "Best Performer in Circulation" for the past three consecutive
 years; as well as one of min magazine's "Most Notable Launches" of the past
 20 years. The magazine also won a National Magazine Award in the personal
 service category ('04). In addition, Rodale publishes Prevention, Women's
 Health, Runner's World, Best Life, Bicycling, Backpacker, Mountain Bike,
 and Organic Gardening, as well as nearly 100 new books a year. Recent New
 York Times Bestsellers include Martha Stewart's The Martha Rules; Bill
 Maher's New Rules: Polite Musings of a Timid Observer; The Abs Diet; The
 South Beach Diet; The South Beach Diet Cookbook; Pete Rose: My Prison
 Without Bars; and Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss.
     About Dodge
     With 1.4 million vehicles sold globally in 2005, Dodge is the No. 5
 nameplate in the U.S. automotive market. Overall, Dodge has a 7 percent
 market share in the United States. In the minivan market, Dodge has a 19
 percent market share; in the truck market, 16 percent; and 4 percent of the
 car market. This year, Dodge Caliber paved the way for international
 expansion of the brand. Hot on the heels of Caliber are the all-new 2007
 Dodge Nitro, Caliber SRT4 and a D-segment vehicle.
     About the 2008 Dodge Avenger
     The 2008 Dodge Avenger is an all-new mid-size sedan that combines bold,
 aggressive Dodge styling with innovative interior features, high-levels of
 safety and reliability, exhilarating performance and excellent fuel
 efficiency of 30 miles per gallon (mpg) (32 mpg based on 2007 EPA fuel
 economy standards). Among the Avenger's standard features that would make
 any commuter safer and more comfortable are side-curtain and
 front-seat-mounted side air bags, Chill Zone(TM), theft alarm and a
 tilt/telescoping steering wheel. The Dodge Avenger has a starting U.S. MSRP
 of $18,895, including destination.
     About Aura360
     Aura360 was founded in 2003 to provide clients with innovative
 marketing strategies and production capabilities designed to animate
 brands. Aura360's three operating units include Properties (owned and
 represented event and media properties), Productions (video production,
 event management and creative) and Consulting (experiential marketing and
 content strategy). Current properties include the Jeep(R) World of
 Adventure Sports on NBC, Teton Gravity Research (TGR), the Men's Health(R)
 Urbanathlon, the Union Square Street Sessions, and the SCORE Baja 1000.
 
 

SOURCE Men's Health