John Hancock and Spotify Give Runners Everywhere Access to Custom Playlists and Tips from Some of the World's Fastest Marathoners

BOSTON, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock and Spotify, the world's largest global music streaming subscription service, are giving runners a new way to push through their finish line. John Hancock's experience gives users the opportunity to create a custom playlist and get motivational tips from Boston Marathon's John Hancock Elite Athlete Team, made up of some of the fastest runners in the world.

Spotify listeners can visit the experience at www.runeliteplaylist.com to get their custom playlist based on their listening habits and run pace, or get paired with a playlist that most closely meets their running style, created by a member of the John Hancock Elite Athlete Team.  

"Whether you're looking to channel a champion, want running advice from the experts, or just want to listen to some great music, this campaign with Spotify offers something for everyone," said Barbara Goose, John Hancock Chief Marketing Officer. "We couldn't be happier to work with Spotify to expand our Boston Marathon sponsorship efforts in a way that engages people in something everyone loves: music."

"Our highly engaged listeners count on Spotify to soundtrack every moment of their lives – big and small," said Brian Benedik, VP, Global Head of Advertising Sales at Spotify. "We are delighted that John Hancock is tapping into our streaming intelligence and connection to culture to help Boston Marathoners and casual runners alike get pumped for their next run and crush their personal records."

John Hancock Elite athletes who have curated playlists or recorded custom running tips include:

• Shalane Flanagan, four-time Olympian, American course-record-holder at the Boston Marathon and the 2017 New York City Marathon champion
• Meb Keflezighi, four-time Olympian, the only American man to have won the Boston Marathon, the New York City marathon and an Olympic Marathon medal
• Desiree Linden, two-time Olympian and top-five finisher in seven Abbott World Marathon Majors
• Molly Huddle, more than 20 national championship titles on the track and roads, holder of the American 10,000m record in the 2016 Olympics, third place finisher at the 2017 New York City Marathon, her marathon debut
• Tatyana McFadden, Paralympic gold medalist and four-time Boston Marathon champion
• Sara and Ryan Hall, America's most accomplished marathon couple. Sara is the 2017 U.S. National Marathon champion and Ryan owns the American course record at the Boston Marathon
• Dathan Ritzenhein, three-time Olympian and third fastest U.S. marathoner of all time

"In our 33 years sponsoring the Boston Marathon, we've never had the opportunity to offer this type of personal experience with our elite running team to so many. This is a perfect fit with our 2018 Boston Marathon #TogetherForward theme because if anyone can motivate us forward, it is the John Hancock Elite Athlete Team," said Goose. 

About Spotify

Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in 2008.

Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by these creators. Everything we do is driven by our love for music.

Discover, manage, and share over 35 million tracks for free, or upgrade to Spotify Premium to access exclusive features including offline mode, improved sound quality, Spotify Connect and ad-free listening.

Today, we are the world's largest global music streaming subscription service with a community of 159 million users, including 71 million Spotify Premium subscribers, across 61 markets.

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About John Hancock and Manulife

John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people achieve their dreams and aspirations by putting customers' needs first and providing the right advice and solutions. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States, and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. Assets under management and administration by

Manulife and its subsidiaries were over $1.04 trillion (US$829.4 billion) as of December 31, 2017. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com.

One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10.7 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and college savings plans. We also offer advice through Signator, a network of independent financial advisors. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

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SOURCE John Hancock