Outdoor
October 4, 2007
Garmin® Bolsters Role in Fitness Industry Through Race Sponsorships, Forerunner® 50 Release
OLATHE, Kan./October 4, 2007/PR Newswire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), is going the extra mile this weekend at the Chicago Marathon. As part of its growing sponsorship program that focuses on many of the biggest races in the nation, Garmin is proud to contribute to the marathon that brings 45,000 runners to the hometown of its flagship retail store on Michigan Avenue. Also this weekend, runners and supporters will get their first chance to test and purchase Garmin’s newest fitness watch, the Forerunner 50.
“Since the announcement of the Forerunner 50, runners, walkers and cyclists have looked forward to this sleek fitness watch that combines quality and functionality that fitness enthusiasts want, for a low price,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales, “We can’t think of a better place to first make it available than the Garmin store and our Expo booth during the weekend of the Chicago Marathon.”
Garmin’s growing presence in the fitness world has been evident at more than a dozen races around the country through the first nine months of 2007, and the company’s sponsorship schedule shows no signs of slowing down. After welcoming tens of thousands of runners, friends and family to Chicago — home of Garmin’s retail store at 663 N. Michigan Ave. — the company known around the world for its navigation and communication devices will sponsor and support the New York City Marathon on Nov. 4 (37,000 runners), the Las Vegas Marathon on Dec. 2 (25,000 runners) and the PF Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and ½ Marathon on Jan. 13 (35,000 runners). At the Garmin store this weekend, visitors can make personalized Thunder Stix for the runners they support, or they can hop on a treadmill to try out the Forerunner 50, available all weekend at the store and the marathon Expo.
The central element of the Forerunner 50 system, announced at Outdoor Retailer 2007, is an advanced fitness watch which interfaces wirelessly with other fitness devices such as a heart rate monitor or a foot pod that monitors speed and distance. The system includes a wireless USB ANT™ Stick that plugs into the user’s PC and automatically downloads workout data stored on the watch to a personal computer. No cables are necessary as the Forerunner 50 synchronizes with the computer once it is in close proximity. Depending on the model purchased, the Forerunner 50 accurately monitors and records heart rate or speed and distance or all of the above.
With this entry-level fitness watch priced at under $100, Garmin broadens its appeal to the millions of consumers who want to burn calories in a cost-effective manner. While the Forerunner 50 processes much of the same data as its GPS-enabled predecessors, those functions are packaged in a very compact device the size of a typical fitness watch.
The Forerunner 50 and USB ANT™ Stick with Heart Rate Monitor has a suggested retail price of $99; the Forerunner 50 and USB ANT™ Stick with Foot Pod has an MSRP of $149; and the Forerunner 50 and USB ANT™ Stick with Foot Pod and Heart Rate Monitor is expected to be available at select retailers with an MSRP of $199.
Learn more about the Forerunner 50, ANT+Sport and Garmin Connect by visiting the Forerunner 50 mini site at www.garmin.com/buzz/fr50/. Additional information about Garmin’s other product announcements and race sponsorships may be found at www.garmin.com.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International, Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq:GRMN) group of companies which designs, manufactures, markets, and sells navigation, communication and information devices and applications -- most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin is a leader in consumer and general aviation navigation and its products serve the automotive/mobile, outdoor/fitness, marine, and aviation markets. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin and Forerunner are registered trademarks, ANT and ANT+Sport are trademarks and Garmin Connect is a service mark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. All statements regarding the company’s future product introductions are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2006 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 000-31983). A copy of Garmin’s Form 10-K can be downloaded at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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