New Balance gears up for National Running Day

Gourmets may be guilty of looking ahead to Friday, which according to Dunkin' Donuts, is National Doughnut Day, but for fitness buffs, June 3 is a red letter day that will henceforth be venerated as National Running Day.

In lieu of parades, 5K fun runs are expected to proliferate.

So notes New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. The Boston-based maker of athletic footwear said it will join today with "thousands of runners across the nation to commemorate the inaugural National Running Day."

In a press release, New Balance said it will highlight National Running Day through content on its website www.newbalance.com and on a Facebook fan page.

"We are proud to celebrate National Running Day to showcase our brand’s long-time love of running,” Dan Green, New Balance's integrated marketing associate of running, said in a statement. “Through our interactive program and associate activities, we are excited to join thousands of runners across America in highlighting the healthy, positive benefits of running.”

The New Balance press release said the company will commemorate National Running Day internally with a 5K fun run along the Charles River for company associates.

According to the release, the idea for a special day was created by the athletic footwear industry to promote running as a healthy, easy, and accessible form of exercise.

More information about this high holiday for jogging can be found by visiting www.RunningDay.org, New Balance said.

The file photo of New Balance shoes that appears this post was a company handout.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)