Foot Locker And ASICS America Kick Off 2016 'Real Lives. Real Runners.' Campaign

Filmmakers offered opportunity to produce and feature authentic running story with chance to air during the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon

News provided by

Foot Locker, Inc.

Jul 21, 2016, 09:03 ET

NEW YORK, July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, in partnership with true sport performance brand, ASICS America Corporation, announces its second-annual "Real Lives. Real Runners." campaign, ahead of the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 6. Foot Locker and ASICS will once again partner with MOFILM, inviting filmmakers to identify authentic runners and document their stories in a short film on why they run and how running impacts their lives.

The winning film will air during the nationally televised broadcast of the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon on ESPN2 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. Additionally, the winning filmmaker will receive a cash prize from MOFILM.

To be considered, filmmakers must submit up to a two-minute video, and an abbreviated 60-second version, celebrating runners from all walks of life. Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, Sept. 6. For more information, entrants should visit MOFILM.com.

"Our first installment of the 'Real Lives. Real Runners.' campaign in 2015 uncovered a wealth of talent and self-expression from both our filmmaker entrants and their running subjects," said Stacy Cunningham, vice president of marketing for Foot Locker. "The campaign shined a light on the different types of inspiring runners out there and their fascinating stories. This year, we're raising the bar and challenging filmmakers to get creative, inject a new wave of freshness into their projects and develop their own interpretation of what 'Real Lives. Real Runners.' truly means to them and the runners they document."

Foot Locker and ASICS will select five finalists, whose 60-second spots will air digitally on Foot Locker's YouTube page and be shared via the brand's social channels. During the month of October, the world at large will be able to vote on their favorite spots. The top three filmmakers will attend an exclusive event in New York City hosted by Foot Locker and ASICS leading up to the marathon where they, along with their subjects, will present to a judging panel of industry leaders.

"We are excited to enter our second year of collaboration with Foot Locker to capture and share these stories," said Roeya Vaughan, vice president of marketing for ASICS America. "Storytelling creates such a powerful human connection, and we look forward to another year of authentic and compelling films that will touch and inspire all of us."

Foot Locker has been dedicated to the sport of running for more than four decades. In further support of its official 2016 TCS New York City Marathon sponsorship, Foot Locker will celebrate five inspiring runners who have used running to overcome personal trials and tribulations as a part of the 40^th running of the "Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge." The Five Borough Challenge team will run the first 13.1 miles of the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon together, and go on to complete the last 13.1 miles of the race at their own pace.

About Foot Locker:
Foot Locker is part of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,400 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, SIX:02, Runners Point, and Sidestep retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel, including footlocker.com, Eastbay.com, SIX:02.com, runnerspoint.com, and sidestep-shoes.com, the Company is a leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.

About ASICS:
Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body," is an old Latin phrase from which ASICS is derived and the fundamental platform on which the brand still stands. The company was founded more than 60 years ago by Kihachiro Onitsuka and is now a leading designer and manufacturer of performance athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.ASICS.com.

About MOFILM:
MOFILM is the leading content creation community, connecting filmmakers and photographers from around the world with global brands to showcase talent and create innovative new ideas. MOFILM provides production grants, along with mentoring and advice throughout the entire creative process of their contests and direct commissions, from script to final edit, to ensure that the filmmakers have the best opportunity for their work to be used by that brand. Clients utilize our work across all channels including digital, broadcast and cinema.

About the TCS New York City Marathon:
The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR) and the largest marathon in the world. Over 1,000,000 people have finished the race since its first running in 1970 with just 127 entrants and 55 finishers running four laps around Central Park. The race expanded to all five boroughs in 1976 and is now in its 40^th year as a five-borough affair. Held annually on the first Sunday of November, the race features 50,000 runners including the world's top professional athletes and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. Participants from over 125 countries tour the city, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and running through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx before ending in Manhattan. In 2015, the inaugural NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon gave young runners the opportunity to run 1.8 miles of the race course in Central Park, beginning near mile 24 and finishing at the famed TCS New York City Marathon finish line. More than one million spectators and thousands of volunteers line the city streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the live television broadcast in the New York area on WABC-TV, Channel 7, nationally on ESPN2, and via various international broadcast partners around the world. The race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which features the world's top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—and crowns the top professional male and female marathoners each year. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. The 46^th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set for Nov. 6, 2016. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.org.