2009 Vasque Trail Team Announced

High performance outdoor footwear manufacturer, Vasque, is extremely pleased to announce the selection of these powerful athletes to the 2009 Vasque Trail Team: Krissy Moehl, Duncan Callahan, Shiloh Mielke, Bryan Dayton, Debbie Livingston, and Dan Dehlin. These impressive endurance runners were hand-selected for their extraordinary athlete prowess, as well as their relentless dedication to the sport, trail preservation, and their respectable reputation locally, nationally, and even internationally. In addition to competing in major trail running events throughout the United States and abroad, the team members will serve as Vasque representatives and educators, product testers, clinic instructors, and as the face of Vasque’s biggest sponsorship initiative to date, the 2009 Vasque PROJECT.

Together, this roster holds an unbeatable number of high-profile podium finishes, record race times, and challenging race schedules. Moehl, a player in the trail running community for nine years, is known in the ultrarunning community for her win (3rd place overall) and course record at the 2007 Hardrock 100 and as the youngest female Grand Slam finisher holding the second fastest female completion time (second to legendary Ann Trason). In 2008 she took first place overall at the Bellingham North Face Endurance Challenge 50K and won the first annual Grindstone 100, taking fourth overall, and placed as the second female in the Where’s Waldo 100K Trail Championships. This season, Moehl has her sights set on Leona Divide 50, Pocatello 50, the Western States 100, and the Tour Du Mont Blanc in France. If all goes well, she will also take a stab at the North Face Endurance Challenge Championships in California. “I am excited about a year of racing and racing hard.” notes Moehl. “I hope to push new limits and see what I am capable of.”

Callahan a relative newcomer to the ultrarunning circuit is already building upon his stellar 2008 results. Posting his first win of the season at the Moab 100 on Sunday, March 29th in a time of 18:51, Callahan also clinched a second place victory last month at the Rocky Raccoon 50 miler. His additional goals for the 2009 season include top finishes at the Sage Burner 50k, the Teva Mountain games, and a repeat victory at the Leadville 100.
Mielke, a world-class mountain runner, plans to compete in the Mount Washington Road Race, the Cranmore Hill Climb (also the U.S. Mountain Running Championship), and, if all goes according to plan, the World Mountain Running Championship in Campodolcina, Italy. Mielke also plans to cut time and improve his already event record at the Shut-In Ridge trail race in Asheville, North Carolina.

Dayton, training in the mountains of Colorado, will focus his season on the Pikes Peak Marathon as well as setting course records at the Leadville Marathon and ½ Marathon. Dayton set the course record at the difficult Leadville ½ Marathon last season. Dayton plans to also compete at the popular, but difficult StumpJump 50K in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he also currently holds the course record.

Livingston, a well known athlete in not only the trail but fitness and yoga communities, will base her season around several events in the New England area, including the Northern Nipmuck Trail Race, the Mount Greylock Trail Race ½ Marathon, and the People’s Forest 10K in Barkhamsted, CT.

Rounding out the impressive roster is Dan Dehlin, a Vasque sales representative in the upper Midwest. Dehlin took second place at last season’s Grand Island Trail Marathon in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and was the top finisher the previous two years. This year, Dehlin plans to not only compete in several high profile trail events such as the Free State 100k and Leadville 100 miler, but also host clinics to help broaden consumer knowledge around the sport and the product.

Each member of the trail team, says Vasque director of marketing, Sarah Pitts, was chosen not only for his or her athletic resume, but even more importantly, for the fact they are inspiring people and leaders in the outdoor community. “The simple fact that Krissy works with the Conservation Alliance, Duncan coaches and helps kids learn to ski in the off season, Debbie is a role model for new and active moms, just to name a few, displays the depth of each of these individuals. It is a special type of person that uses their success positively, becoming an influential spokesperson in their sport and community.”

This trail team exemplifies and parallels Vasque’s continuous dedication to being a leading technical performance brand. “Vasque is devoted to producing performance footwear that harnesses the natural forces of the body and the terrain.” notes Pitts. “It is essential that our products withstand the most extreme and hardcore elements, therefore these athletes will be our most valuable product testers. Their experiences and suggestions will help the brand to continue to develop high quality performance driven shoes with meaningful innovation.”

The trail team will be training, testing, and racing in Vasque’s award-winning trail collection including the Aether Tech, the newly released Celerator and Momenta, and the second-generation Blur SL. The Aether Tech, Outside Magazine’s Gear of the Year in 2008, offers a blend of comfort and technology while utilizing the BOA® Technology closure system for those interested in a faster, cleaner lacing system. Blur SL (for super light) offers a cushioned, yet stable midsole to go the distances without the extra weight. The Celerator and Momenta, Vasque’s lightest trail shoe to date, includes high-performance EVA landing zones and a tenacious Aether outsole for superior cornering and gripping on rough terrain.
The 2009 Vasque Trail Team begins its season in late April with a two-day retreat at company headquarters in Minnesota.

For more information about the team, athletes’ schedules, Vasque PROJECT events, or for a full list of Vasque products and retailers, visit www.vasque.com.