Yearly Competition Pits Teams of Runners Against Each Other for $100,000 in Community Donations and a Refurbished Park on Their Side Of Town

WHAT: On Saturday, September 10, Nike will refurbish Wrightwood Park for the 2004 Nike Northside marathon team, whose overall average time of 3:26:30 edged out the Southside team's time of 3:41:21. This year, Southside will be lobbying and running for payback.

For the second year in a row, Chicago will divide in a friendly rivalry for the Nike Northside vs. Southside campaign. The two teams of marathoners will compete for a refurbished running trail or track in their side of town as well as a portion of an overall $100,000 product donation by Nike to local charities.

The competition pits teams of 20 runners from the North and South sides against each other for the lowest combined marathon time. The team with the lowest time will dictate whether a running trail or track in their community will be refurbished. In addition, both teams are rallying supporters to vote for their cause. Each team will receive a direct percentage of their tallied votes from the $100,000 donation. To cast votes for either side, people can visit the NIKETOWN Runner's Lab located at Michigan Ave. (at Erie) as well as the Nike Runner's Truck. The Truck will be visiting running paths and training runs throughout September and October, offering runners a gear check, advice, product trials, water and snacks.

When the votes are tallied, the $100,000 in Nike product will be distributed to local charities including the Chicago Park District, High Sight and Tri Masters. This donation is a part of NikeGO, Nike's national community affairs program to get kids active and give them the means to do it.

WHO: 20 Northside runners, 20 Southside runners, Nike Chicago employees and other community volunteers

WHEN: Saturday, September 10, from 10 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Wrightwood Park, 2534 N. Greenview Ave.