Posted: November 10, 2005

Athletics: Runner's World Global Editors Select ASICS GT-2100 as 2005 "Shoe of the Year"

NEW YORK - (November 5, 2005) - The global editors of Runner's World magazine, the worldwide authority on running information, awarded their inaugural International Editor's Choice Award for the 2005 Shoe of the Year to the ASICS GT-2100 during a special awards celebration Saturday night at Remi in New York City.

The awards took place following the conclusion of the first-ever Runner's World International Shoe Summit, a four-day conference featuring the editors of all eight international editions of Runner's World and ten of the world's leading running shoe manufacturers, who presented their upcoming 2006 product lines.

The ASICS GT-2100 had already captured Runner's World Editor's Choice Awards in three of the magazine's eight international editions over the past 12 months, earning the honor in the flagship U.S. edition in December 2004, in Runner's World Germany in April 2005 and in Runner's World South Africa in January 2005.

Editors in each of those countries cited the stability shoe for its superior midsole cushioning, its improved support against foot pronation and the increased Gel in the forefoot area that allows a more natural toe-off.

Wear-testers in the U.S. felt that they could "run longer with them," while their wear-testing counterparts in Germany went even further, calling it an "almost perfect shoe."

The Runner's World International Editor's Choice Award for its Shoe of the Year will now be presented annually in collaboration with its International Shoe Summit, part of Runner's World's global initiative to find, test and designate the best shoes in the world for its readers in the ten countries: Australia/New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands/Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the United States - where it currently publishes.

Representatives from adidas, ASICS, Brooks, Fila, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, Puma, Reebok and Saucony all presented their upcoming lines to Runner's World editors at the Summit, which began on Wednesday, November 2 and wrapped up Saturday afternoon.

"Creating a more consistent and uniform RW Shoe Guide across all of our international platforms will be a boon to shoe companies, retailers and certainly to the audience we all care most about - our runners," said Adam Bean, International Managing Editor for Runner's World.

"For nearly 40 years, Runner's World has been the No. 1 most trusted, independent source people turn to for all running information. And as we continue to grow internationally, we felt that it was vital that the scope of our research expand accordingly, which is why we've created the Shoe Summit and the International Editor's Choice Award program.

"As the international running shoe business now probably accounts for more than $10 billion in annual sales, the manufacturers have been eager to talk to our global audience about their product development, which will greatly enable us to produce a more global and uniform Runner's World Shoe Guide for each of our eight editions."

In conjunction with the international shoe testing initiative, Runner's World's widely-recognized and respected "Editor's Choice Award"™ Seal of Approval Program is being re-launched to reflect this global collaboration, allowing runners around the world to recognize RW's universal International Editor's Choice seal at retailers as a way to help them select the most appropriate shoe for the level and needs.

About Rodale's Runner's World
Recognized as the worldwide authority on running information, the mission of Rodale's Runner's World is to inform, advise and motivate runners of all ages and abilities. Runner's World aims to help runners achieve their personal health, fitness and performance goals, and to inspire them with vivid, memorable storytelling. Currently Runner's World publishes eight international editions in 10 countries, plus a special bi-annual teen running publication, High School Runner. Runner's World's companion website, RunnersWorld.com, is the largest running community on the Internet, featuring interactive, searchable and targeted content for runners of all ages and abilities.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.