Foot Locker, Inc. announced that “The Push,” created by filmmaker Evan Kelman and featuring Marco Reininger, was selected as the winner of the “Real Lives. Real Runners,” film contest. “The Push” will air nationally on Sunday, Nov. 1, during the television broadcast of the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon on ESPN2 from 9:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. ET.
Reininger, a U.S. Army veteran living in New York City, runs every day to pay homage to his fellow brothers in arms. He reflects daily on his time served on active duty and intense training, which provides him with the motivation to push harder and always give more than is expected.
The “Real Lives. Real Runners.” campaign, which launched in June with MOFILM, invited aspiring filmmakers to identify authentic runners and document in a short film why they run and how running impacts their lives ahead of the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon. The top three submissions, which featured stories of runners from all walks of life, were screened at an exclusive event hosted by Foot Locker and Asics America on Oct. 26. An esteemed panel of judges including Olympic medalist and American marathon record holder Deena Kastor, ESPN sports business analyst Darren Rovell and New York Road Runners Chairman of the Board George Hirsch, ultimately selected “The Push” based on its compelling story and sophisticated elements of production.
“We received many inspiring submissions as part of the 'Real Lives. Real Runners.' campaign, each detailing the positive effects that running has on so many people,” said Stacy Cunningham, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Foot Locker. “We're excited that 'The Push' will be our official spot during the New York City Marathon broadcast, celebrating the great sport of running.”
“We're always looking to capture the true essence of running that Foot Locker and Asics share,” said Shannon Scott, Asics America Corporation senior director of marketing. “Out of all the inspirational videos, 'The Push' did an amazing job at showcasing what running means to people from all walks of life.”
To view the top five “Real Lives. Real Runners.” film submissions, including “The Push” visit: FootLocker.com/RealLivesRealRunners.
Foot Locker has been dedicated to championing the sport of running and welcoming all runners for more than four decades. In further support of its official 2015 TCS New York City Marathon sponsorship, Foot Locker will celebrate five inspiring runners who have used running to overcome personal trials and tribulations as a part of the annual, “Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge.” The Five Borough Challenge team will run the first 13.1 miles of the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon together on Sunday, Nov. 1 and go on to complete the last 13.1 miles of the race at their own pace.
