15,000 women will share bond and raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Nike Women's Marathon, the premier women's race in the country, is sold out for the third straight year with 15,000 participants across the globe registered for the event in San Francisco on October 22, 2006. The event has raised $24 million over two years for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's lifesaving cancer research program and is expected to raise $40 million after only its third year. Of the 15,000 registered runners, 95% are female - which makes this one of the largest women's races in the United States and the world. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061020/SFF027 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO ) The Nike Women's Marathon, in conjunction with The Leukemia &Lymphoma Society (LLS), will allow runners around the world to virtually join the 15,000 marathoners by syncing up through Nike+ technology at http://www.nikeplus.com/. Nike will donate $1 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (http://www.lls.org/) for every mile that runners around the world log between now and October 22nd. With a goal of raising $50,000 by race day, every mile will make a difference in the fight against cancer. This distinctive event was inspired by the 20th anniversary of Joan Benoit Samuelson's historic gold medal win in the first all-women's marathon at the 1984 Olympics. Joan ran the Nike Half-Marathon in both 2004 and 2005. This year's marathon boasts a unique inspiration during the last leg - the first ever Little Sister Lane will merge with the race course for a 4-mile stretch near Lake Merced. Kids from nine local youth organizations will run together to motivate and inspire marathoners to cross the finish line. Mt Gleason Middle School in Sunland, CA, one of the participating organizations, will schedule training runs in early October to prepare young runners, age 12-15, for the Little Sister Lane as well as provide transportation for 30 runners and a student cheering section on race day. In its first year of existence, the inaugural race was sold out in a few weeks before race day, attracted more than 10,000 participants and raised over $10 million for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The 2005 Nike Women's Marathon attracted over 15,000 participants from 17 different countries and 50 different states. The Nike Women's Marathon sells out faster than most marathons of its size and has become one of the biggest philanthropic contributors among races, raising more than $24 million in its first two years. "The Nike Women's Marathon is truly a unique event that brings women of all ages together to participate in a race designed just for them," said Brian O'Connor, Nike Brand Manager for Running. "The fact that the race sold out in record time with 95% of the participants being women underscores that women are looking for a race designed for them. Tiffany necklaces, the chocolate mile and a runners' coat-check are just a few of the special elements that contribute to the popularity of this race. We are excited to see the streets of San Francisco filled with women accomplishing not only the 26.2 miles of the marathon, but raising millions of dollars for LLS, which is an incredible feat." Both full (26.2 miles) and half (13.1) marathon courses will remain the same for 2006 from 2005, incorporating famous San Francisco landmarks and scenery. The race will start in Union Square and run along the San Francisco Bay with scenic views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, ushering runners down the Great Highway as they cross the finish line. Along the course, runners will be offered support to keep them motivated, including a coat check to stash unwanted clothes, the Chocolate Mile - a mile of chocolate goodies from Ghirardelli - and a pedicure station. All race finishers will receive an official 2006 Finisher Necklace designed by Tiffany & Co.(R) and a Nike Dri- FIT performance top. "It is great to see so many women running and celebrating the uniqueness of the Nike Women's Marathon," said Benoit Samuelson. The strength, determination and commitment these women demonstrate is motivational and inspirational to anyone who wants to accomplish a goal of completing a marathon." The Nike Women's Marathon will be an all-weekend celebration. Activities will include a race "Expotique" at Union Square featuring health and fitness consultations and demonstrations, as well as complimentary spa services. After the race, finishers will be able to enjoy a post-race concert. Race participants can train for the marathon through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training(R), the world's largest sports endurance training program. Local participants can join Nike Club Run SF, Nike's free innovative and comprehensive training series, or join the Students Run Oakland High School club training program which is new group that will also be participating in this year's event. To register with Team In Training, log onto http://www.teamintraining.org/nikewm or call 1-800-482.TEAM. To learn more about the Nike Women's Marathon, visit http://www.nikemarathon.com/. About Nike Nike, Inc. based in Beaverton, Oregon is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan(R), which designs, markets, and distributes fine dress and casual shoes and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. About Team In Training Team In Training is the world's largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk a whole or half marathon or participate in a triathlon or century (100-mile) bike ride. Participants raise funds for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services in exchange for training, support, and lodging and airfare to the event of their choice. Since TNT's inception, more than 200,000 participants have raised more than $470 million. About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society(R), headquartered in White Plains, NY, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The Society's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has provided more than $438 million for research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, the Society made more than 4.2 million patient contacts through services provided at its home office and by its 66 chapters in the U.S. and Canada. ABOUT STUDENTS RUN OAKLAND Students Run Oakland is a community-based nonprofit, non-competitive athletic and mentoring program in Oakland, California that uses the challenge of training for a 26.2 mile marathon to help disadvantaged high school students develop long term goals, improve their health and overcome obstacles. Like many of the women participants for our Nike Women's Marathon, they leave transformed mentally and physically. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061020/SFF027 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Nike, Inc. CONTACT: Morgan Shaw of Nike Media Relations, +1-917-331-4748, or Web site: http://www.nikebiz.com/

Copyright