Irvine, CA (July 23, 2009) - ASICS athlete Ryan Hall has announced he will run the ING New York City Marathon, November 1, 2009. The event, now in its 40th year, is considered one of only five of the "Major Marathons" in the world. This will be Hall's first time running the ING New York City Marathon and his second Major World Marathon this year placing third in the prestigious Boston Marathon in April with a time of 2:09:30.

"My goal is to become the first American winner of a Major World Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon is a crown jewel of marathons," says Ryan Hall. "I'm ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple."

Hall will also be running the New York City Half-Marathon in August where he will be a leading contender. Hall has proven himself as one of the best distance runners in the world; he currently sits number two all time on the American list with a personal best of 2:06:17 from the 2008 London Marathon. In 2007, Hall won the men's Olympic Trials Marathon in New York, securing a trip to Beijing where he finished 10th overall. Hall holds the American half-marathon record with a time of 59:43.

Fans can follow Hall on his road to the ING New York City Marathon. For more information visit www.asicsamerica.com.

ASICS Corporation, with more than 50 years of footwear manufacturing experience, offers a full line of performance-driven athletic shoes and technical active sports apparel and accessories. For more information, please visit www.asics.com.

Irvine, CA (July 28, 2009) - For the second time in two years ASICS’ GEL-Nimbus® has been named “Editor’s Choice” by Runner’s World® magazine. The review of the updated GEL-Nimbus 11 will be featured in the September issue of Runner’s World.

According to Runner’s World, “ASICS pimped out the latest Nimbus with an abundance of memory foam in the interior and a pillowy new midsole material throughout the forefoot. The breathable mesh upper has an open feel that provides the toes room to spread out.”

The updated version features an injected Solyte® midsole material under the forefoot which enhances cushioning and durability. In the women’s version, it is customized specifically for women with lower density injected Solyte to compliment a woman’s foot. The weight has dropped to 12.4 ounces and the asymmetrical lacing has been redesigned to remove the overlays across the toe box, creating an open toe environment. Five millimeters of memory foam has been added in the tongue lining and stitch-less PHF® (Personal Heel Fit) has been utilized for a better fit and less irritation.

The GEL-Nimbus 11 is suitable for a range of runners, from under-pronators to mild over-pronators, and features unparalleled cushioning coupled with a broad, stable and flexible base of support.

“We are truly honored to receive this recognition from Runner’s World, the authority in the running community,” says Jim Monahan, VP Footwear, ASICS America Corporation. “The GEL-Nimbus continues to be an outstanding cushioning platform. We feel the latest version offers extra cushioning without sacrificing the stability of the shoe.”

The GEL-Nimbus 11 is available at participating retail stores for $125. To find a retailer, visit www.asics.com. To read the September review (on newsstands August 4th) from Runner’s World visit www.runnersworld.com.

Irvine, CA (July 28, 2009) - Despite a down economy, ASICS America Corporation, the athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer headquartered in Irvine, California, continues to see significant growth and momentum.

Financial results for the 2008 fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, showed the company’s revenue at $510 million, a staggering 20 percent increase over the previous year. Expectations for 2009 are also positive, predicting an increase of between six to seven percent for the first half of the year, and about eight percent for the entire year.

“Our running category is growing even in these tough times,” says Rich Bourne, President and COO, ASICS America. “We have strong brand recognition, excellent product and we are performing well at retail. These are all strong indicators that we have a sound strategy in place, and despite the challenges of the economy, are continuing to build a strong platform for continued growth in the future.”

ASICS America’s running business in particular is strong, with an 11 percent increase for the year to date. This growth is led by a stable of top-selling performance running styles including the GT-2140, GEL-Nimbus and GEL-Kayano. Women’s running also continues to be a main driver of the growth.

“We continue to add innovation on our top performance models like the Kayano and Nimbus series which has met the expectations of our loyal consumers,” say Jim Monahan, Vice President of Footwear, ASICS America. “We also diversified our overall running selections, leading to a new consumer base for our brand.”

According to the NPD Group/Point Of Sale Tracking Service, as of end of May 2009, ASICS is up 20.5 percent in dollars over last year and is number two (in dollars) among all running footwear brands. This is very good standing considering the total running footwear market is down almost five percent.

In addition to the domestic growth, ASICS America’s Brazilian subsidiary continues to benefit from a strong performance brand position resulting in high double-digit growth over the last year.

ASICS America’s growth has contributed to the overall financial growth of parent company ASICS Corporation, headquartered in Kobe, Japan, which posted a seven percent increase (in yen) in net consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ended March 31.

ASICS Corporation, with more than 50 years of footwear manufacturing experience, offers a full line of performance-driven athletic shoes and technical active sports apparel and accessories. For more information, please visit www.asics.com.

Irvine, CA (July 23, 2009) - ASICS athlete Ryan Hall has announced he will run the ING New York City Marathon, November 1, 2009. The event, now in its 40th year, is considered one of only five of the "Major Marathons" in the world. This will be Hall's first time running the ING New York City Marathon and his second Major World Marathon this year placing third in the prestigious Boston Marathon in April with a time of 2:09:30.

"My goal is to become the first American winner of a Major World Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon is a crown jewel of marathons," says Ryan Hall. "I'm ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple."

Hall will also be running the New York City Half-Marathon in August where he will be a leading contender. Hall has proven himself as one of the best distance runners in the world; he currently sits number two all time on the American list with a personal best of 2:06:17 from the 2008 London Marathon. In 2007, Hall won the men's Olympic Trials Marathon in New York, securing a trip to Beijing where he finished 10th overall. Hall holds the American half-marathon record with a time of 59:43.

Fans can follow Hall on his road to the ING New York City Marathon. For more information visit www.asicsamerica.com.

ASICS Corporation, with more than 50 years of footwear manufacturing experience, offers a full line of performance-driven athletic shoes and technical active sports apparel and accessories. For more information, please visit www.asics.com.

Provided by competitor.com

In the final installment of an exclusive five-part series, Ryan Hall discusses the benefit of training in a group, how he sets up his training and racing schedule and what he hopes to accomplish by the end of his career.

Provided by competitor.com

Part-four of an exclusive five-part series, Ryan Hall discusses the charity he runs for, his first times running Boston and the Olympics and the truth about whether he shaves his legs.

Provided by competitor.com

Part-three of an exclusive five-part series, Ryan Hall discusses setting his marathon PR, American marathoners emerging as true contenders on the world stage and how sticking your own race plan is key for success in the marathon.