byLarry Eder
The new LA Marathon will be held on March 21, 2010!
If you do it right, they will sponsor. Under the new management, LA Marathon is doing more in its first year than most events do in several. A new course, a new date, and now, a multi-year footwear and apparel sponsor, K-Swiss, one of the newest and most innovative footwear companies in our sport. With very close ties to the California sports scene, the involvement of K-Swiss makes sense on a variety of levels. Marathon sponsorships, if managed well, are great research labs for footwear companies, and fulfill what we shall call the Kirk Richardson rule: to be a successful running footwear company, you have to be in the field, you have to fit the consumer in shoes and listen, really listen to the consumer. Marathon expos give brands that exposure, it is the true battle line, where the outersole hits the road.
On another note, congrats to Russ Pillar and his team at LA Marathon and the team at K-Swiss. Another example of how our business continues to grow, and prosper.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — The Los Angeles Marathon announced today that K-Swiss has agreed to a multi-year agreement to become the Marathon’s official footwear and apparel partner. The fully integrated partnership provides California-based K-Swiss with unique activations developed jointly around the Marathon’s multiple properties, including the Los Angeles Marathon, the New Performance 5K, the Marathon Expo, and the LA Roadrunners training program.
As the Marathon’s official footwear and apparel partner, K-Swiss and the Marathon will collaborate on the creation of a full line of licensed apparel that will be sold at retail, online, at the Expo, and on race day across various “pop-up retail” touch points. K-Swiss will also drive apparel sales through owned and managed stores across Asia, providing both companies with a platform to reach an enthusiastic and growing cadre of runners overseas.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said Russ Pillar, President of the Los Angeles Marathon. “K-Swiss’ commitment to quality product, innovation, and fun mirrors our own. We’re confident that, working together, we’re going to create great value for our runners as we do for one another.”
“Our partnership with the Los Angeles Marathon is a carefully-planned part of our commitment to the running market,” said David Nichols, K-Swiss Executive Vice President. “Both K-Swiss and the Los Angeles Marathon are storied entities that have retained a sense of fun. We look forward to bringing the best of the California lifestyle to the Los Angeles Marathon and its runners.”
During race weekend, K-Swiss will provide a unique trial environment at the Expo for consumers and visitors alike and also will have a special presence at the 5K and at the Marathon’s city block parties and Finish Line Beach Party.
About the Los Angeles Marathon
We inspire athletes and connect communities. With thousands of volunteers, tens of thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators, the Los Angeles Marathon is one of the largest organized road races in the country. For more information, visit www.lamarathon.com.
About K-Swiss:
Located in Westlake Village, CA, K-Swiss is a publicly traded company founded more than forty years ago. K-Swiss introduced the first all-leather tennis shoe, the K-Swiss “Classic” in 1966. Since its inception, K-Swiss has rooted itself in California Sport with an aim to be the most inspiring and innovative sports brand in the market. Today the company offers performance and lifestyle footwear and apparel for several categories under its California Sports umbrella including Tennis Heritage, California Fit (Running, Triathlon and Fitness) and California Youth. For more information about K-Swiss, visit www.kswiss.com.
SOURCE K-Swiss
Website: http://www.kswiss.com
Website: http://www.lamarathon.com
To learn about running in California, please check out http://www.caltrack.com
To get twenty-four views of the world of running, please check the RN portal: http://www.runningnetwork.com
