New iPhone app helps runners fight childhood obesity

In support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, Saucony is issuing a national challenge to runners everywhere to help reverse the trend of childhood obesity: Download Saucony Run4Good™, the running industry’s first-ever iPhone app dedicated to battling childhood obesity… and go run. With every mile, runners will be earning money for community youth running programs, putting kids back on the fast track to health.

The GPS-enabled app opens the door for runners everywhere to join the fight against childhood obesity without having to enter a charity race or open their wallets. Simply by running, the Saucony Run4Good app allows people to support the cause by earning donations for miles run. Each month, when a predetermined mileage goal is reached, Saucony will double its donation to selected youth running programs, inspiring individual runners to both unite over their passion for running and combat the childhood obesity epidemic. The app also brings a social aspect to the to its monthly leader boards where runners can challenge friends and join teams that compete together to accumulate mileage toward the monthly goal.

Starting today, the free app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or by going to saucony.com/run4good.

“At Saucony, our brand mission is to inspire others to run─and that includes our kids,” said Chris Lindner, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of commerce for Saucony. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for the community to do good by doing what we love─running. As a brand focused on runners, innovation and social responsibility, we believe the Saucony Run4Good app offers a new world of possibilities to engage with our community in a relevant, innovative and meaningful way while inspiring a strong unity of purpose to make a difference for our kids.”

The American Diabetes Association® New England Division is the highlighted organization for the September launch of the Saucony Run4Good app. ADA New England is launching Run For Your Life!, a clinical weight loss program for overweight and obese youth in the Greater Boston area. The ADA’s program will use running as the foundation of physical activity to facilitate significant lifestyle changes in the program’s participants.

In the coming months, the following organizations will also be featured on the Saucony Run4Good app:

• Eric Thomas Foundation, Houston, Texas
• Mount Desert Island YMCA®, Bar Harbor, Maine
• Marathon High, Austin, Texas
• United Way® of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville, Florida

In the future, Saucony plans to invite the community to nominate and select future Run For Good grant winners. The brand also welcomes like-minded organizations and corporations to gain access to the Saucony Run4Good app, allowing their employees to join Saucony in the fight against childhood obesity.

For more information on how the Saucony Run For Good Foundation™ can help local youth communities nationwide, visit www.sauconyrunforgood.com.