SAUCONY OFFERS “PIT STOP” TO RUNNERS TRAINING ALONG  BOSTON MARATHON COURSE

Temporary porta-john along Newton’s infamous hills offers runners and residents a solution to nature’s call and trampled gardens

LEXINGTON, MA (March 18, 2009) – “We know pit stops happen … because we run,” reads the sign on the recently placed porta-john along Commonwealth Avenue’s access road in Newton, Massachusetts. As a neighborhood along the Boston Marathon route, residents of “The Garden City” also know that pit stops happen-on their property. Lexington-based Saucony, Inc., a leading global supplier of performance athletic footwear and apparel, is offering runners and residents a temporary solution to the unavoidable rest stop dilemma: a portable toilet service for one month along this highly traveled section of the marathon course.

“As we enter the finalweeks of training for Boston, there’s a major increase in runners training along the Newton hills, especially on the weekends,” said Sharon Barbano, vice president of public relations, athletes and events for Saucony and a former Newton resident and Boston Marathon runner. “On those long runs, nature often calls and this stretch of road offers no place for impromptu relief, except the bushes and gardens on or near private homes. We hope this pit stop offers a practical solution for both the runners and the neighborhood during the final weeks of Boston training,” added Barbano.

The Saucony porta-john is located away from any private homes, near the intersection

of Commonwealth Avenue and Walnut Street, just west of the Johnny Kelley statue along the access road. It will be serviced every Monday morning unless demand requires additional upkeep. Removal of the porta-john is set for April 13^th, when all long training runs are completed and runners are resting up for the 113^th running of the Boston Marathon on April 20^th.

About Saucony, Inc.: Saucony, Inc., a subsidiary of Collective Brands and a division of The

Stride Rite Corporation, is a leading global supplier of performance athletic footwear and apparel with its widely recognized brands Saucony and Saucony Originals.  For more information, go to www.saucony.com.