• by Tanya Gazdik , October 13, 2016

Asics is launching a campaign tied to its sponsorship of the NYC Marathon that will benefit a charity that encourages girls to be more active by assisting them with the appropriate footwear. 

The sportswear brand is the official footwear and apparel partner of the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon.

The multichannel brand campaign includes digital, social, outdoor and retail activations, live events and online at www.asics.com/extramile. Fans can follow the campaign’s events on social media using the hashtag #ExtraMile.

Asics is encouraging athletes of all levels to make a positive impact by adding an “Extra Mile” to their workout. For those going the “Extra Mile,” the company will donate a pair of running shoes to Girls on the Run, a non-profit which promotes self-confidence and healthy lifestyles through running. 

The Asics Runkeeper app will allow runners nationwide to get involved. Starting Oct. 17, users can download the app and sign up for the “Extra Mile Challenge.’” 

The Extra Mile campaign will come to life in New York City’s Columbus Circle on Nov. 4, where the brand will have treadmill stations where participants can run or walk an “Extra Mile” and trigger a donation to Girls on the Run. 

Asics will continue to celebrate the Extra Mile campaign on Marathon Monday, with a ceremonial one mile run starting at the official race finish line in Central Park. The mile run will include a selection of 25 runners, including Asics elite athlete, first time marathoner and Rio 2016 Olympic Triathlon Gold Medalist Gwen Jorgensen and Girls on the Run members. 

The Asics 2016 NYC Marathon collection features a passport theme which is inspired by New York’s rich melting pot and the international diversity of the TCS New York City Marathon runners and spectators.  All five boroughs are highlighted as retro-style stamp graphics on the performance footwear.  The passport theme includes shades of blue and coral and is featured on Asics’ GEL-Kayano 23, GEL-Nimbus 18 and fuzeX™ performance footwear models.

The marathon is a unique and global platform within the running community, said Roeya Vaughan, Aspics America vice president of marketing. The brand hopes to “create a movement that transcends New York City and inspires people to create positive change, something core to our Asics founding principle of sound mind, sound body,” Vaughan says.  

Aspics also will participate in the official 2016 TCS New York City Marathon campaign, “Get Your New York On” featuring Smile Markers. There will be 26 Smile Markers located throughout the city, each one sharing fun marathon facts about the race, the city, and culture of New York City. To commemorate the “Extra Mile” campaign, a customized 27th ‘Extra Mile’ Smile Marker will be located at the Asics store in the Meatpacking District (420 W 14th Street).

The company also will donate a pair of shoes to Girls on the Run for every $100 spent on ASICS products from Oct. 24 through Nov. 7 within select New York City run specialty stores, and at participating ASICS retail locations nationwide.