Nike Joins Marathon
Nike today announced a new multi-year agreement with Bank of America to become the official footwear and apparel sponsor of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, beginning with the October 12, 2008 race, as well as the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle.

As an event sponsor for the next five years, Nike will provide the official merchandise for race participants, personnel and pacers, and will operate a comprehensive 17-week marathon training program in Chicago, beginning in June 2008, to prepare and motivate all participants.

To complement this training program and to support the global group of runners who participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Nike Running has made available two new products to evolve the Nike+ experience, giving runners more options for how they want to run and train. Available today, the Nike+ SportBand is a wristwatch that also monitors a runner's steps, allowing runners to "See How They Run," checking time, pace, distance and calories burned, with a glance. The Nike+ SportBand watch face is a detachable USB link that captures all the run data from a sensor located in the runner's Nike+ ready footwear.

Nike+ Coach is a runner's own personal online trainer--empowering runners with the information and motivation needed to train for a 5K, a 10K, half-marathon or full marathon--and an easy, accessible way to connect to the world's largest global running community at nikeplus.com. As of February 2008, Nike+ runners have run more than 50 million miles on nikeplus.com--the equivalent of completing more than 1.9 million Chicago Marathons.

"Both debut and elite runners can now rely on Nike for the 24/7 support they need to get it done, gut it out and take on the remarkable challenge of participating in one of the world's preeminent marathons," said Leslie Lane, Nike global vice president for running. "We will bring a new energy and our distinct passion to this 31-year institution that has hosted many thrilling finishes and exceptional accomplishments, including Paula Radcliffe's world record-shattering performance in 2002. We are honored to enter into a relationship with Bank of America, another blue- chip brand with a rich history of promoting sports excellence."

"As a leader in the running industry, Nike has demonstrated a longstanding passion for the sport, and we are excited to welcome them as new partners to our Chicago-based running events," said Bank of America Illinois President David Rudis. "Leveraging their expertise is consistent with our commitment to strengthening and growing our events, and ushering in an exciting new era for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon." Local Commitment The Marathon sponsorship is the cornerstone of Nike Chicago's efforts to support the more than 1 million runners in the Chicagoland area, explained Daryl Jones, general manager, Nike Chicago.

"We are proud of our commitment to and support of local runners of all levels," said Jones. "Nike Chicago has created and sponsored many races, as well as supported several local elite running teams. We also provided area high school coaches with educational clinics and look forward to improving a Chicago-area running track later this year."

One of the five races comprising the World Marathon Majors, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is the second largest marathon in the United States, attracting 45,000 runners every year.

-From Press Release