Asics Hopes To Defend Market Position By Extending Paris Marathon Partnership

Japanese sportswear brand Asics “extended its partnership with the Paris Marathon for three years” until ’19, according to Palierse & Demoux of LES ECHOS. Asics Regional Dir Emilio Risques said, “There are 60 big marathons in the world. Paris is the second behind New York and is probably the one that has the most intense experience.” With the partnership, Asics hopes to “defend its position as the running brand leader.” The group saw a 17% increase in running shoes sales in ’15, stimulated by the “running craze” sweeping the globe. In France, the number of runners rose to 8.5 million last year, according to a study from the French Sports & Leisure Federation. The study also revealed that running shoes and apparel sales accounted for €850B ($968.5B) in France. Asics was the leader in the sector with “close to 30% of the market share” (LES ECHOS, 4/1).