Footwear Plus

As New York City prepared to host runners from all over the world last weekend, Asics hosted a pre-marathon run through Central Park on Friday, led by Olympian marathoner and U.S. record-holder Deena Kastor and her coach Terrence Mahon.

After a light three-mile loop around the park, runners were treated to a breakfast pep talk with Mahon and Kastor, along with fellow Olympian Ryan Hall, who opted to stay off his feet that morning to rest up for Sunday’s 26.2 miles. . .

Asics unveiled its first U.S. retail location today at 51 West 42nd Street in New York.

Company chairman Kiyomi Wada was on hand to cut the ribbon along with other executives, including Rich Bourne, president and CFO of Irvine, Calif.-based Asics America, and Gary Muhrcke, owner of nine Super Runners Shop stores, who will run the Asics flagship. . .

It all started back in June when Asics’ elite marathoner Ryan Hall traveled to the company’s training and research center in Kobe, Japan to undergo testing and evaluation to construct a custom pair of running for the ING New York City Marathon on November 1. Seven experts were involved in the measurement and evaluation of Hall’s feet, legs, strength, flexibility, speed and impact.

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