New Sony Walkman® Online Community Will Keep Runners in the Groove As They Go the Distance

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony is helping runners get in a rhythm for race day by launching a social community in collaboration with Active.com®, the leading online community that connects people with the sports and activities they love to do. The new Sony Walkman® online community will provide support for runners of all levels by providing a forum for runners to help each other prepare for their upcoming races, exclusive content from U.S. Olympic medalist and 2009 ING New York City Marathon Champion Meb Keflezighi and free co-branded Active.com Trainer plans for the first 5,000 participants.

The new community will also be supported by Team Sony --  a group of 120 amateur athletes and Sony Walkman ambassadors who have been carefully selected based on their passion for and involvement in endurance sports. Team Sony ambassadors will use the new Walkman® W-Series MP3 player (NWZ-W262) in their own training and at select endurance events through January 2012. In addition, Team Sony members will be regular contributors to the Sony Walkman site, offering encouragement through video posts, photos, recommended workout soundtracks and more.

Meb will offer tips and inspiration to the Sony Walkman online community as a regular content contributor and resource for training participants. Team Sony members will also be active in their communities using the Sony Walkman W-Series and discussing the benefits of its convenient wire-free, water-resistant and portable design that makes it even easier to train with their favorite tunes.

"I am thrilled that Sony is supporting runners by establishing an online community where we can help and inspire each other as we prepare for race day. The Sony Walkman W-Series is uniquely designed to support the needs of sports enthusiasts, and is my personal running mate when I train," said Meb Keflezighi.  

The co-branded Active.com Trainer plans, which will be available exclusively at the Sony Walkman online community on a first-come, first-served basis, are designed to help the online community plan, log and share results as they train for a 10k race, half marathon or full marathon. There will be a total of six Active.com Trainer plans for participants to choose from, with beginner and intermediate plans in all three race categories.

For more information, or to participate, please visit the Sony Walkman online community at: http://www.active.com/running/first-race.

About Sony Walkman W-Series Portable Music Player:

The Sony Walkman W-Series MP3 player features a convenient lightweight, rinsable, wearable and water-resistant headphone-style design that is ideal for fitness enthusiasts. The official music player of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, the Walkman W-Series is designed to conveniently and comfortably accompany its user to the gym, trail and treadmill. The W-Series Walkman comes with Content Transfer software that allows users to easily drag and drop music files from iTunes® for Windows®, Windows Media Player or Windows Explorer and a quick charge function that gets 60 minutes of battery life from a three minute charge. For more information please visit www.sony.com/news.

About The Active Network, Inc.

The Active Network, Inc. is the leading provider of organization-based cloud computing applications serving diverse market segments including business events, community activities, outdoors and sports. Our technology platform, ActiveWorks®, transforms the way organizers manage their activities and events by automating online registrations and streamlining other critical management functions, while also driving consumer participation to their events. Our flagship media property, Active.com®, is the leading online community for people who want to discover, participate in, and share activities about which they are passionate. Headquartered in San Diego, California since 1999, the company has over 25 offices worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ActiveNetwork.com or www.Active.com. Follow Active Network on Twitter @ActiveNetwork, @Active and on Facebook.

Media contact:
Maya Wasserman
Sony Electronics
[email protected]

SOURCE Sony Electronics