Adidas, BAA & Marathon Sports Open “RunBase”

BOSTON,
Mass. – Boston, host to the greatest road race in the world, is a
runner’s town. Until now, there’s been no place to buy your gear, learn
from elite athletes, lace up for a run and clean up afterwards. Today
adidas and the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), organizer of the
Boston Marathon, announce the launch of the Boston Marathon® RunBase in
partnership with Marathon Sports, Inc. The adidas exclusive community
experience will open mid-April just steps from the finish line. The
initiative is the first of its kind in the U.S. and will be the center
of running in Boston, located at the 26-mile mark of the legendary
course on Boylston Street.

Set in a unique state-of-the-art hub for runners, Boston
Marathon® RunBase celebrates the world’s oldest annual marathon 52 weeks
a year with inspirational displays curated by the B.A.A. and drawn from
the organization’s archives. Boston Marathon® RunBase will be complete
with a changing room with lockers, as runners will use the facility as a
base for informal runs.  Showers also will be available.

“RunBase is a one-of-a-kind resource for runners based in and
traveling to Boston,” said Mikal Peveto, global director of running
innovation at adidas. “adidas is taking its partnership with the Boston
Athletic Association to the next level with the help of Marathon Sports
to let runners experience the best of our brand and the spirit of the
greatest race year-round.”

Offerings could include community runs, expert speakers, visits
from elite athletes, training plan assistance and nutrition education.
The 2,000 square foot space will exclusively sell premium adidas
footwear (including favorites from the Boost family including Ultra
Boost, Energy Boost, adizero Adios, Supernova Glide and Sequence),
seasonal and official marathon apparel and accessories. A calendar of
events, workshops, seminars and clinics separates a runner’s experience
at Boston Marathon® RunBase from any other in the sport.

The space will be filled with exhibits and historic photos from
the past 119 years of the Boston Marathon, including race bibs, medals,
trophies and jackets. The stories of the marathon’s history will be
displayed in living color and will rotate seasonally. There will always
be something new to do and see at the location. A large cast of a
unicorn, an iconic symbol of the marathon, and a 10-foot 3D topographic
animated race map made of reclaimed wood will greet customers. Four
interactive screens across the space, known as RunBase Central, will
feature key moments in race history along with an archive featuring
every participant since the marathon’s inception. Interactive 3D gear
cases with transparent touch screens will feature the latest adidas
footwear.

“We’ve already cultivated a community of like-minded runners
through our heritage,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. executive director. “The
experience expands the way we serve and interact with runners while
providing world class product in an environment that celebrates the
Boston Marathon’s past and present.”

Grilk continued, “This is a natural extension of our
long-standing partnership with adidas, which we have enjoyed since
1988.  The Boston Marathon, our club and our community events will come
to life at Boston Marathon® RunBase year-round for all to see and
experience.”

Customers and visitors can run any part of the 26.2 miles of the
race route with visuals and terrain that simulates every step of the
course on the official treadmill. For the first time, all race results
of every single person who has run the Boston Marathon will be
digitalized and combined into a single database for search and
interaction with RunBase Central.

Boston is the first of several RunBase locations in the U.S. in
the works. As part of adidas’ 2020 strategic business plan, RunBase will
play an important role in increasing adidas presence in key U.S.
cities. There are currently six RunBase locations in Tokyo, Moscow,
London, São Paulo, Prague and the Nordics with several other locations
planned around the world in the next year.

Boston Marathon® RunBase will be located at 855 Boylston Street
and open daily from 10 a.m. (9 a.m. during race weekend) to 8 p.m. Visit
www.bostonrunbase.com for more information.