Boston-based New Balance announced a new partnership with New York Road Runners today, an agreement that will have the athletic brand sponsoring the organization’s events, programs and youth-running initiatives throughout each year.
As part of the 10-year comprehensive partnership, New Balance will become a New York Road Runners Foundation partner and the group’s official athletic footwear and apparel partner in 2017. The brand will sponsor all of the organization’s events, including the TCS New York City Marathon.
In addition to its role in events, New Balance is working with New York Road Runners on a NYC running center, a hub for New York Road Runners services that will feature New Balance products. It’s slated to open in 2016 near Columbus Circle.
“This year-round alliance is a first in the category for New York Road Runners and was made possible by our unified vision of a world where people of all ages and abilities benefit from running,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners, in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with New Balance on our continuing efforts to get kids moving in a fun and rewarding way while serving the global running community with world-class programming and innovative athletic products.”
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While the partnership officially launches in 2017, New Balance will move into the partnership gradually, starting in 2016, by expanding on its current role as the footwear and apparel sponsor of the Airbnb Brooklyn Half by becoming the title sponsor of the New Balance Bronx 10-Mile and the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile.
In addition to the marathon in 2017, New Balance will sponsor the NYRR Five-Borough Series, NYRR Heritage Races and the organization’s weekly races. The brand will also produce all race shirts for New York Road Runners throughout the year and manage the New York Road Runners’ e-commerce platform.
Following the event for the announcement at the brand’s NYC storefront on Fifth Avenue, Rob DeMartini, president and CEO of New Balance, spoke with Footwear News about how the partnership with New York Road Runners came to fruition.
“From the beginning, we talked about this in a much broader way than just a marathon sponsor. We talked about things like the youth running programs, serving the communities that host all these great events, including the marathon,” he said. “That resonated with them because they realized, what a great host the city is to not only the marathon but many other events that go on almost every week.”
New Balance and New York Road Runners’ announcement came one day after Irvine, Calif.-based athletic brand Asics announced that it’s ending its partnership with the TCS New York City Marathon.
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