The IAAF communications department, with its revised websites, web based films and film clips, pdf coaching education, has undergone dramatic changes over the past two years! The value of the site in 2007, as a resource and as the meeting place of all that is our sport, has truly begun to show what can be done on the web and also, what our sport can look forward to in the future! We have posted the full release on Road Running for your reading.....
A word of caution..as the IAAF has done superbly covering track and field, the understanding of road running and how its coverage differs should be a cautionary tale. In my mind, the worlds do not mix well, even though both sides could learn alot from each other.
I am excited about the new show and how it can help build a global audience for the sport! More on this later!
The IAAF's New Series "Road Running Show" Toes the Start Line
December 20, 2007
From press release.
19 December 2007 Monte-Carlo - The IAAF's much awaited televised road running magazine will commence broadcasting at the beginning of 2008.
The RUNNING ROAD SHOW will visit over 50 countries and will broadcast an all year round entertainment show with 50 weekly episodes covering a variety of topics from lifestyle to competition updates and runner profiles, meeting the world's greatest runners and reliving the world's greatest road races.
The RUNNING ROAD SHOW is for runners, their families and fans and is intended to link the entire road running world from elite performers to the club runner to the everyday jogger. The show will provide tips, news and features of interest to the entire community, from participants who have a life-long passion for running to novices who perhaps see training for and running a marathon as a once in a lifetime challenge or a charity fundraiser.
The TV magazine which was officially launched this autumn at Sportel, Monaco has FOX as its Commercial Partner in a deal that will run through 2008 with an option to continue for further years.
"Road running is the most populous, diverse branch of our sport, its number of participants and competition structure making it unique," commented IAAF President Diack. "What other major sport offers recreational participants the possibility to compete alongside elite performers as occurs at the world's major city road races. The average footballer can't play with Ronaldo, but the average jogger can toe the start line with Radcliffe."
"The IAAF wishes to strengthen its connections with and further help to promote this mass movement. The RUNNING ROAD SHOW is a dynamic new tool for achieving this goal by offering attractive TV to the road running community, by providing vital year-round TV coverage."
Fox Sports International Vice President of Programme Sales Marcia Bylicki added: "We are honoured to be working together with such a prestigious Federation as the IAAF, and look forward to being a part of the huge community of road running."
Based in Los Angeles, Fox Sports International (FSI) is an international sports programming and production entity housed within the Fox Cable Networks Group, one of the major operating units within News Corporation (NYSE: NWS). FSI operates the programming service Fox Soccer Channel, as well as a London-based programming syndication sales division, and is partnered with Global Television in Fox Sports World Canada. It joined with HM Capital Partners, LLC to form Fox Pan American Sports LLC, one of the world's largest Spanish-language sports operations and programming ventures, spanning North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Through this joint venture, FSI manages the U.S. Spanish-language sports network Fox Sports en Espanol.
For more information on global athletics, please click: http://www.iaaf.org
For on american athletics, please click: http://www.american-trackandfield.com
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