2014 La Sportiva Mountain Cup Trail Running Race Series in Full Swing

Nearly halfway into the 10-race season, the La Sportiva Mountain Cup is in full swing and is more competitive than ever. Races in Utah, Washington, Georgia, and Texas have all been contested and the leaderboard is tight. With six races left in the season, both the men’s and women’s overall series titles are up for grabs with a $25,000 prize purse on the line.

“When we created the La Sportiva Mountain Cup six years ago, we wanted to highlight the most interesting trail runs in the country,” says La Sportiva North America president Jonathan Lantz. “Since then, the series has grown significantly and now all the top athletes in the sport are toeing our start lines.”

This year’s sixth annual Mountain Cup is already the most competitive yet. On the men’s side, La Sportiva athletes Ryan Woods and Justin Ricks are both chasing the lead and only separated by one point. Woods took the lead from Ricks after a spectacular win at the Hell’s Hills 25K in Smithville, TX. Jordan McDougal, last year’s series winner, holds onto fourth place, trailing Brett Ferrier by 16 points. Hell’s Hills held a surprise on the women’s front as well; with Kristi Anderson taking the points lead from the absent (and 8-time Mountain Cup Champion) Megan Kimmel. La Sportiva ambassador Maria Dalzot currently holds on to third place but is looking to close the gap in the remaining races of the year.

This year the Mountain Cup is partnering with Soles for Souls to expand the reach of the La Sportiva shoe recycling program, Racers are encouraged to bring their worn out but still serviceable shoes to the races where they can donate them to be reused around the world.

Updated results and points standings for the La Sportiva Mountain Cup can be found at La Sportiva Mountain Cup.