Timex Announces 800-Mile Charity Relay from Chicago to New York City

MIDDLEBURY, Conn., Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Timex, the leader in outdoor and sports performance timepieces, today announced the launch of the Timex ONE Relay, an 800-mile, 22-day journey featuring more than 100 runners. The initiative will be the most ambitious, interactive running event of the year, as the route spans two of the most iconic marathons in the world, Chicago and New York City and crosses Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York.

The campaign will allow runners to share their experience across social media powered by the new TIMEX® IRONMAN® ONE GPS+ the one of the first fitness smartwatch to offer phone-free connectivity.  All relay participants will be outfitted with the TIMEX® IRONMAN® ONE GPS+, which will serve as Timex's version of a baton and will be passed from one runner to the next upon completion of each relay leg.

The TIMEX® IRONMAN® ONE GPS+ is an all-in-one runner's GPS smartwatch, and includes live messaging and tracking capabilities.  These features will enable consumers everywhere to follow the relay and the runners' progress in real-time and, more importantly, communicate directly with the runners by sending messages of encouragement, which will be received on the watch. The full runner experience is brought to life at onerelay.timex.com, a site dedicated to the Timex ONE Relay.  It includes an interactive route map that tracks the Relay's progress, runner profiles, and a message center enabling followers to send personalized notes to runners, as well as photos and videos from the relay.

"Our goal for the Timex ONE Relay is to identify and empower a special group of runners as they hit the pavement to support the causes that matter most to them, as we try to change the world a mile at a time," said Sam Martin, Brand Director of Timex Sports. "We're especially excited to elevate this program by connecting runners from around the world and allowing them to play an active role via social media, all of which will be made possible by the new TIMEX® IRONMAN® ONE GPS+."

The Timex ONE Relay will launch on October 9th at the AT&T Michigan Avenue Flagship Store in Chicago at 6 p.m., where Bart Yasso, Chief Running Officer of Runner's World, will kick off the experience with a fun run, and gear clinic. Yasso will also be signing copies of his Rodale Inc. book, "My Life on the Run." All consumers are invited to join the relay at various destination points by visiting designated retail stops, many of which will be running specialty and select AT&T retail stores, along the route. The Timex ONE Relay will conclude with an inclusive group run designed to celebrate the completion of the epic journey on October 30^th in New York City.

The TIMEX® IRONMAN® ONE GPS+ has been developed in close collaboration with Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, a leader in mobile technology, and is wirelessly connected by leading mobile service provider AT&T.

To learn more about the Timex ONE Relay or to follow runners along the route, go to onerelay.timex.com.

About the Timex Group:

Timex Group designs, manufactures and markets innovative timepieces globally. Founded in 1854, Timex is part of Timex Group, a privately-held company with multiple brands and over 5,000 employees worldwide. 

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojMfvhtpE7g

SOURCE Timex Group