It's Benetton's turn to launch a sport collection

United Colors of Benetton has launched its first sportswear collection. It's highly colourful and made with natural technical materials, such as merino yarn. For the occasion, the brand will sponsor the 2016 Italian edition of 'The Color Run' non-competitive marathon.

The collection is dedicated to sports, running and yoga in particular, and will be available at the retailer's first stores towards the end of April, to coincide with the start of the event.
 
This year, the running race will take place in ten Italian cities, and has made a name for itself for its playful vibe: the participants in fact spray themselves with colours, and reach the end of the 3.1 mi run garishly painted over. The event will kick off on 30th April in Turin, which last year set the world participation record, and will end on 3rd September in Milan, after crossing the whole of Italy, from Bari to Venice. The novelty is that two stages will take place at sunset, in two Italian coastal towns in July and August.

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"We were lacking a sports line," said Chief Product and Marketing Office John Mollanger at a press conference in Milan. He pointed out how the brand chose the Color Run because it's an amateur, fun race, run with family and friends, and especially because colour bursts out everywhere in it. "It is also important that the race runs through the whole of Italy, we will rediscover our connections with each town," said Gianluca Pastore, Benetton's Director of Communications.
 
"We are organising the event for the fourth time, and its success is growing and growing," enthused Paolo Bellino, General Manager of RCS Sport (the media company which imported the format in Italy). He reminded, together with Andrea Trabuio, in charge of Mass Events at RCS, that in 2015 Italy set the world record for participation, with over 126,000 runners.