Foot Locker And ASICS America Reveal Five Semi-Finalists For The Second Annual 'Real Lives. Real Runners.' Documentary Style Series

Winning film chosen by public Facebook Poll and panel of judges to air during the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon

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Oct 11, 2016, 03:50 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker, Inc., a New York-based specialty athletic retailer, and ASICS America Corporation announce the top five semi-finalists in this year's "Real Lives. Real Runners." campaign today. The program gave filmmakers the opportunity to capture documentary-style stories on real runners. The five filmmakers advancing from the open submission in July are Ashley Avis, Jose Mayorquin, Sean Brown, as well as two returning contenders from the 2015 competition, Joshua Traywick and Michael Medoway.

Today through Oct. 20, the public is invited to visit Foot Locker's Facebook page to review each film and vote for their favorite via Facebook Poll. Once the voting period closes, Foot Locker and ASICS America will fly the top three filmmakers and their subjects to New York City for an exclusive screening event on Wednesday, Nov. 2. At the conclusion of the screening, the winner will be selected by an esteemed panel of judges, including New York Road Runners President and CEO Michael Capiraso, Olympian and American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall and ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell. The event will be hosted by WABC-TV's Eyewitness News Meteorologist and veteran marathoner Amy Freeze, who is slated to run the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon.

On Sunday, Nov. 6, the winning film will air nationally during the live television broadcast of the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon on ESPN2 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET. Additionally, in partnership with MOFILM, the winner will be awarded with a cash price and an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas to attend the annual MOFILM Awards.

"Foot Locker is thrilled to continue its partnership with ASICS on the second-annual 'Real Lives. Real Runners.' campaign, in celebration of our TCS New York City Marathon sponsorship," said Stacy Cunningham, vice president of marketing for Foot Locker. "This year's talented group of semi-finalists have captured the inspiring and positive stories of real runners, and we are honored to have a platform to share the winning story during this year's Marathon broadcast."

"I am truly touched and inspired by the stories presented in the 'Real Lives. Real Runners.' program," said Roeya Vaughan, vice president of marketing for ASICS America. "Running can provide a range of benefits, extending beyond physical health into mental focus, emotional healing, inspiration and personal peace…all connected to our ASICS core belief of a sound mind and a sound body. We are proud to showcase the diversity of what it means to be a runner."

To view the "Real Lives. Real Runners." short films, visit: https://poll.fbapp.io/rlrr2016. The top five spots are:

Hope– Ashley Avis
I Coach/Soy Entrenadora– Jose Mayorquin
One More Step – Joshua Traywick
The Art of Running – Michael Medoway
Second Chances – Sean Brown

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 channels, 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.