SHAPE Magazine Launches Fitness Challenge Program in Partnership with MapMyFITNESS and ASICS

SHAPE, an active lifestyle magazine for women, has announced partnership with MapMyFITNESS and ASICS to launch the 2012 SHAPE Fitness Challenge.

MapMyFITNESS is a suite of award-winning mobile and web tools designed to make fitness training simple and shareable.

"We are thrilled to partner with SHAPE to provide its readers with truly unique ways to get them to closer to their health and fitness goals," said Robin J. Thurston, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of MapMyFITNESS, in a release. "

Sponsored solely by ASICS, SHAPE's Fitness Challenge will be fully integrated with in-book, online and mobile components. 

This program will coincide with the start of the New Year to inspire participants to make their resolutions count by bringing readers and fitness enthusiasts a fun-filled eight-week initiative that launched on SHAPE.com on December 28th.

SHAPE readers, during the 60-day plan will be allowed to commit to run, walk or bike their way to their fitness goals through one of MapMyFITNESS's programs.

This online portal offers more than five million fitness enthusiasts the ability to track and store their daily exercise routes via Facebook, Twitter and other social sites. Also, to help readers meet their goals, editors of SHAPE will create useful and empowering tips.

The featured challenges include: The ride challenge, "Ride a Century," the walk challenge, "Walk a Marathon," the run challenge, "Run 30 Miles in 30 Days," and the fitness challenge, "30 Days of Fitness."

"We are so proud to launch the 2012 Fitness Challenge with MapMyFITNESS," commented Brian Gruseke, SHAPE's Vice President, Publisher and Director of Corporate Sales, in a release. "This innovative program combines the superior editorial content that SHAPE readers know and trust with MapMyFITNESS's robust collection of mobile and online products. We're also thrilled to have the backing of ASICS, with their commitment to helping everyone achieve their fitness goals."

Officials said that the participants will be able to select a challenge and complete the goal that corresponds with that challenge within 30 days to be entered into a drawing to win various prizes.

In related news, Shape has announced the release of the "Shape Your Life" app, a custom publication digital edition for the iPad, powered by Revlon and offered free to consumers.