Foot Locker And ASICS America Launch 'Real Lives. Real Runners.'

Campaign Offers Aspiring Filmmakers Platform to Share Running Stories To Air During 2015 TCS New York City Marathon

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Jun 17, 2015, 12:02 ET

NEW YORK, June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, announces its partnership with ASICS America Corporation to launch its "Real Lives. Real Runners." campaign, ahead of the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon. Whether it's a mile or a marathon, all runners have a story, and this campaign will provide a platform to capture and share their stories.

Building on the successful 2014 "All Runners Welcome" campaign from Foot Locker and ASICS, "Real Lives. Real Runners." invites filmmakers to identify authentic runners and document in a short film why they run and how running impacts their lives. The winning film will air nationally during the television broadcast of the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon, and the winning filmmaker will receive a cash prize from MOFILM, plus an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles for the annual MOFILM Awards.

Filmmakers can submit up to a three-minute piece, celebrating runners from all walks of life, with shortened versions of 30 and 60 seconds. Deadline for submissions is Sept. 7, 2015. For more information, entrants should visit MOFILM.com.

"Last year's 'All Runners Welcome' campaign invited runners of all sizes, abilities and personalities to visit Foot Locker for a premium selection of running gear to meet their individual needs," said Stacy Cunningham, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Foot Locker. "This year, we're tapping filmmakers to help us find and tell the fascinating stories of the different types of inspiring runners out there, and demonstrate how running has positively impacted their lives."

Foot Locker and ASICS will select five finalists, whose 30-second teasers will air digitally on Foot Locker's YouTube page, and will be shared via the brand's social channels throughout the month of October. During the week leading up to the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon (Nov. 1), the creators of the three most-watched teasers will be invited to an exclusive screening event hosted by Foot Locker and ASICS to announce the winner.

"As an official partner of the TCS New York City Marathon, we are excited to team up with our friends at Foot Locker on another fantastic initiative to celebrate real runners from all walks of life," said Shannon Scott, ASICS America senior director of marketing. "Running is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, at any age and any ability, and we can't wait to showcase the inspiring and unexpected stories we discover through this campaign."

For the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon, ASICS has announced a special capsule collection that will feature a fresh, NYC-inspired graffiti design on one of the brand's most innovative shoes ever, the GEL-Quantum 360™, which launches this summer and features for the first time a full 360 degrees of ASICS award-winning GEL® Cushioning technology. The collection for men, women and kids will be available at Foot Locker locations across New York City and online.

Foot Locker is the sponsor of the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge, a race within the Marathon between five inspiring runners representing each of New York City's five boroughs. This Fall, Foot Locker will host its 37^th Annual Foot Locker Cross Country Championships – an annual series of cross-country races for high school students supporting future generations of runners.

About Foot Locker:

Foot Locker is part of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,500 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 channels, including Eastbay.com, footlocker.com, and SIX:02.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. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features the world's top professional athletes and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. The race began in 1970 with just 127 entrants running four laps around Central Park, and expanded citywide in 1976. In 2014, a record 50,530 runners from 130 countries toured New York City's five boroughs, including the one-millionth finisher in the history of the event, 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 at the iconic Central Park finish line. More than one million spectators line the city streets to cheer on the runners, while millions more watch the live television broadcast in the United States and around the world. The race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series featuring the world's top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—and crowning the top professional male and female marathoners of the series. 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. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.com.