by Larry EderThe Saucony Run for Good Challenge is a wonderful example of giving back to our communities. Saucony is a great example of a company that gets it. To be a good corporate citizen, one must have more considerations than just being profitable.
We encourage runners to get involved!
Ben True, Saucony athlete, photo by Kevin Morris, Photo Shelter
SAUCONY® AND RUNKEEPER™ TEAM UP TO TACKLE CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Saucony Launches The Saucony Run For Good Challengeâ„¢ Calling Upon the Running Community to Help Get Kids Active and Healthy
LEXINGTON, MA (September 1, 2015) — In support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, Saucony, a leader in the performance running market, and mobile fitness-tracking app RunKeeper are issuing a challenge to runners everywhere: Transform your run into a “run for good.” Throughout the month of September, The Saucony Run for Good Challenge encourages runners to join the fight against childhood obesity by running the cumulative distance of a marathon. For every 26.2 mile challenge completed and tracked by RunKeeper, Saucony will donate $26.20 to the Saucony Run for Good Foundationâ„¢ to further support programs that keep kids active.
“Today, nearly one in three children in America is overweight or obese,” said “Richie Woodworth, president of Saucony and the Saucony Run for Good Foundation Board of Directors. “At Saucony, our brand mission is to empower the human spirit through running−and that must include our kids. The Saucony Run for Good Challenge is an opportunity for our running community to help eradicate the childhood obesity epidemic simply by doing what we love−running.
“According to a Saucony online consumer survey, nearly 60% of runners carry a phone on a typical run. Our partnership with RunKeeper, one of the largest and best mobile fitness platforms in the world, allows us to tap into the emerging connected fitness trend to further open the door for runners to join us in our goal to tackle childhood obesity,” said Woodworth.
“Our users have been eager for opportunities to make their running miles work for causes they care about, so we’re thrilled to partner up with Saucony to seamlessly enable them to run for good,” said RunKeeper founder and CEO Jason Jacobs.
The Saucony Run for Good Challenge
Beginning today and running through September 30, runners and walkers can participate in the Saucony Run for Good Challenge by running 26.2 miles and logging all of their miles with the RunKeeper app. The free RunKeeper app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Once an account is created, participants can log miles in real time or after their workout. When a user completes the 26.2 mile challenge, Saucony will donate $26.20 to the Saucony Run for Good Foundation−up to $100,000−to benefit childhood programs that keep kids healthy and active.
For nearly a decade, Saucony has been an industry leader in supporting nationwide efforts to ensure that kids in the U.S. can grow up at a healthy weight. Since 2006, the Saucony Run for Good Foundation has awarded more than $1 million dollars in grants to schools and community organizations all dedicated to preventing childhood obesity through running and a healthy lifestyle.Encouraged by recent signs of progress in turning childhood obesity rates around, Saucony remains even more committed to putting kids on the path to a healthy future.
“We know that running can be a transformational and powerful engine for good,” said Woodworth. “The Saucony Run for Good Challenge is an impactful way for runners everywhere to connect as a community, truly transforming their run into a run for good.”
Learn more about The Saucony Run for Good Challenge and the Saucony Run for Good Foundation at saucony.com/runforgood. Runners can sign up now by visiting RunKeeper at runkeeper.com/challenge/
About Saucony: Saucony, a division of Wolverine Worldwide, is a leading global running lifestyle brand that fuses performance, innovation and style to create compelling footwear and apparel with its widely recognized brands Saucony and Saucony Originals. Founded in 1898, Saucony continues to inspire runners everywhere with its award winning innovations, including the “Geometry of Strongâ„¢, PWRGRID+â„¢, ISOFITâ„¢, EVERUNâ„¢, and the Total Run Systemâ„¢ apparel line. At Saucony, a good day is when we get to run. A great day is when we inspire someone else to run. For more information, go to www.saucony.com.
About the Saucony® Run For Good Foundation™: The Saucony Run for Good Foundation is committed to improving the lives of children by helping to prevent and reduce childhood obesity. The Foundation acts to inform the public about its cause and prevention and provides funding to optimize the impact and success of community organizations that promote running and healthy lifestyle programs for youth. Since the Foundation launched in 2006, it has awarded more than $1 million dollars in grants to organizations nationwide. For more information, visitwww.sauconyrunforgood.com.
About RunKeeperâ„¢: Runkeeper is a leading mobile running app that helps runners of all levels – including beginners – get started with a fitness routine and stick with it forever. It makes running fun and engaging through tailored music and workout experiences, and helps people build lasting routines with smart schedules that fit into their busy lives. One of the first apps in the 2008 App Store launch, Runkeeper now has more than 45 million users across 200 countries. The app is available in 12 languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Swedish, Dutch, Russian, Korean and Simplified Chinese.Visit www.runkeeper.com for more information or follow on social @Runkeeper.
