Sportswear giant Nike introduced its new Nike+ SportBand and a mobile site designed to give runners Nike+ data and access to other runners wherever and whenever they need it.

The Nike+ SportBand gives runners real-time performance feedback on their distance, pace, time and calories burned with just a glance at their wrist. Nike also redefined the online running experience by giving users access to their Nike+ accounts right from their mobile phones.

The Nike+ SportBand features a new screen with a white background to enhance visibility and a welded seal to improve water resistance.

Runners who enjoy listening to music may continue to hear their run details through the Apple iPod nano, iTouch or iPhone systems.

Additionally, runners need to sync their runs with the Nike+ mobile site in order to check their progress via mobile.

The Nike+ SportBand became vailable in the U.S. on July 15, with a suggested retail price of $59 USD.

Nike has merged the popular http://www.nikeplus.com Web site and its close to 2 million members with http://www.nikerunning.com to give users a one-stop running destination online.

The mobile and PC versions of the site let users customize their homepage so they have an at-a-glance view of their training, progress in goals and challenges. And, Nike+ runners can personalize every run to illustrate their mood, weather, terrain and route.

The site lets runners search for like-minded and similarly-skilled runners, accept new friend requests and initiate challenges in conjunction with their favorite social media platforms.

And because no good run should go unpublished, runners can broadcast their own successes beyond Nike+, with automatic updates to Facebook status and Twitter feeds.

Once runners tap into their own personal running network, Nike+ will recommend challenges from the gallery to help inspire a little healthy competition with other runners who have similar running styles or profiles.

The new feature asks runners to answer a few simple questions in order to receive a customized shoe recommendation based on the latest shoe technology.

In addition to helpful news, training tips and event details, the mobile site also features new professional coaching programs from some of Nike's top running coaches and athletes.

Runners can choose from a pre-set coaching program, or personalize their own routine and goals with more flexibility.