ASICS Corporation chairman Kihachiro Onitsuka died on Saturday September 29 of heart failure in a hospital in Kobe, Japan. He was 89.
Mr. Onitsuka was born on May 29, 1918, in Tottori Prefecture in western Japan. Concerned at the sight of the nation’s youth after World War II, he made it his mission to inspire young people and chose the world of sports as a means to fulfill his goal.
In 1949, he started Onitsuka Co. Ltd., the first sports shoe company in Japan. Using many creative ideas, he released epoch-making products.
In 1977, ASICS Corporation was formed through a merger of Onitsuka Co. Ltd, G.T.O. Co., an equipment manufacturer, and Jelenk Co., a sports apparel manufacturer. Mr. Onitsuka became the president and aimed to diversify the business to be more competitive on the global sporting goods market.
In 1992, he became chairman of ASICS Corporation, a position he held until his death. Today ASICS is the fifth largest sports goods manufacturer, making products not only for Olympic Gold medalists, but also ordinary people who do sports to keep up a healthy lifestyle.
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Sunday’s Asics British 10-K London Run will have a decidedly Italian flavor, thanks to a partnership with the Rome Marathon. Not only will Italy’s largest marathon be represented prominently at the race through signage and dedicated structures, but they have also helped make Stefano Baldini’s participation possible.
“In this agreement there will be a structure of (the) Rome Marathon in the start and finish area and banner of Rome Marathon along the race course,” said Max Monteforte, who organizes the elite athletes for the Rome Marathon, in an e-mail message. “For this, (the) Rome Marathon will bring Stefano Baldini in the race.”
This will apparently be the first of two races Baldini, the reigning Olympic Marathon champion, will contest in Britain in the near term. He has also been signed for the BUPA Great Wales Run on Sunday, July 29. He has already said he will not contest the IAAF World Championships in Osaka in August. Baldini, 36, already has two World Championships bronze medals earned in 2001 and 2003l
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Now that you’ve read Part I of TFS’s Winter 2006 Apparel Guide, it’s time to learn how to protect your upper body and create an outer-layer of protection.
The optimal upper-body base layer provides breathable protection against the cold, but is also light enough to fit under a potential outer-layer apparel.
One option, for both men and women, is Underarmour’s close-fitting and moisture-wicking “Cold Gear Long Sleeve Top” (Another of our Editor’s favorites - especially the mock-turtleneck). The “Cold Gear” product line is a solid choice to help you stay both warm and dry. Under Armour’s “Cold Gear” tights and compression shorts are also very effective products.
Now that the base layer has been covered (which could be sufficient in milder, winter weather), you need to focus on outerwear.
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The mere thought of facing brutally low temperatures, face-burning winds, rain, sleet, snow, and ice is probably enough to make most people decide against that winter run in favor of some eggnog in front of the fireplace.
However, winter running can be invigorating and really enjoyable as long as you use common sense and are properly suited with the right cold-weather running apparel.
While comfort is always a concern, you need to keep the focus on staying warm and protected from the elements. When the body is subjected to extremely low temperatures it loses heat quickly. Therefore, unprepared runners leave themselves at risk and vulnerable to hypothermia, windburn, frostbite and a winter full of injuries.
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The Nike Air Pegasus 2006 took home the Shoe of the Year Award at the second annual International Editor’s Choice Awards. The awards were given at a special ceremony following the conclusion of the Runner’s World International Shoe Summit; the now annual four-day conference which features nine international editions of Runner’s World and manufactures of the world’s leading running shoes. These manufacturer’s also use the event as a time to announce and promote their upcoming product lines.
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