Paofit And The Virgin Money London Marathon Announce The Digital Virgin Money London Marathon

LONDON, April 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine lacing up to run the iconic Virgin Money London Marathon, passing over the famous Tower Bridge, and feeling the excitement and energy of the day without ever leaving your home or gym.

Paofit and the Virgin Money London Marathon today announce the first ever digital marathon, allowing anyone in the world to experience running the famous race with the same course, iconic landmarks and thrills from a treadmill. Paofit is the first and only company to combine HD video of running courses around the world with virtual reality avatars to make treadmill running fun and social.

Starting today, anyone can run a sample portion of the full marathon to experience what elites like 2013 winner Tsegaye Kebede and second place winner Emmanuel Mutai saw from the race filmed in 2013.   

Simply download the Paofit app and the Digital Virgin Money London Marathon Showcase, connect your iPad to a Life Fitness treadmill with a Track+ or Discover Tablet Console.  Due to Paofit's integration with LFopen™, the fitness industry's first truly open platform, runners' speed will be accurately recorded in addition to adjusting incline to reflect the course terrain. Runners will enjoy a feeling of camaraderie as the Paofit app shows fellow runners on the course in real-time, and a sense of challenge along the way.

To experience the digital marathon on other treadmills, open the Paofit app, download the Showcase and set it on the treadmill. The vibration generated by running on the treadmill will cause the course ahead of you to speed up or slow down reflecting your cadence.  You can also calibrate Paofit to match your stride. In addition, Paofit will be releasing an independent treadmill speed sensor in the next few months. 

"Many runners dream of being able to run this legendary race, and it is now accessible to everyone through our partnership with the Virgin Money London Marathon," said Marc Hardy, CEO of Paofit. "We're excited to be able to give any indoor runner the chance to experience part of the course, from novice runners to experienced racers."

"We're proud that, together with Paofit, we can offer so many more runners the experience of participating in the Virgin Money London Marathon," said Hugh Brasher, the event Race Director. "Every runner has their own goals, whether it is running a 5k for the first time or competing in a full marathon. With the launch of the world's first digital marathon, the sport is more accessible than ever before to treadmill runners across the globe."

"Paofit's introduction of marathon courses into the app is a brilliant example of how creativity and collaboration can change the way people exercise through technology," said Dan Wille, ‎Vice President of Marketing, Product and Business Development at Life Fitness. "Life Fitness is proud to partner with Paofit to make this exciting endeavor possible through LFopen so that anyone in the world – whether at home or the gym – will be able to compete in global races on a Life Fitness treadmill."

In the U.S., 53 million runners run on a treadmill, compared to 49 million who run outdoors.  However, almost everyone has admitted to experiencing some level of boredom on the treadmill. Paofit brings adventure, engagement and community to treadmill users around the world. 

Runners can download Paofit for free via Apple's App Store here, which includes eight sample running locales from around the world. Runners can purchase locations beginning at $1.99. Paofit plans to release an iPhone and Android version of the app later this year, as well introduce the new PaofitTrack treadmill sensor, which automatically connects to the Paofit app via Bluetooth.

To be kept informed of how to register for the April 2015 Digital Virgin Money London Marathon, visit www.DigitalLondonMarathon.com to sign up for the Newsletter.

About Paofit
Paofit is a leading developer of digital fitness solutions that transform indoor exercise into a more fun, social, experience. Paofit's flagship app offers interactive runs through HD videos of stunning locations and the ability to run with friends online anywhere in the world inside the videos in real time. Currently available for iPad on the App Store. iPhone and Android versions of the app are coming soon. For more information, please visit http://www.paofit.com.

About Life Fitness
Life Fitness is the global leader in commercial fitness equipment manufacturing. The company manufactures and sells strength and cardiovascular equipment under the brand names Life Fitness and Hammer Strength and distributes equipment in more than 120 countries. For more information on Life Fitness, visit www.lifefitness.com. Life Fitness is a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC).

Media Inquiries for Paofit:
April Mayrath
Consort Partners PR
[email protected]

Media Inquiries for Life Fitness:
Lauren Platt
Life Fitness
[email protected]

SOURCE Paofit