Vasque Team Member Wins World-Renowned Trail Race

Red Wing, MN – Performance outdoor footwear manufacturer Vasque is proud to announce that a member of the Vasque Ultra Running Team, Lucy Colquhoun, has won first place in the women’s division of the fabled 2008 North Face Ultra Trail CCC in Chamonix, France. Competing in a pair of Vasque Blur trail runners, the 37-year-old Colquhoun, who lives and trains in North Berwick, Scotland, finished the 61-mile (99km) course in just over 14.5 hours. The 6th annual race was held on Friday August 29th.

The CCC Endurance Race starts in Courmayeur, Italy, runs through Champex, Switzerland, and finishes in Chamonix, France. The race, which includes more than 5,500 meters of climbing and is one of two courses in the two-day North Face Ultra Tour Du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), is widely considered one of the toughest in the world. Colquhoun competed in the 2007 race as well, finishing second. This year, while winning the women’s division in record time, Colquhoun also finished 12th overall out of more than 2,000 runners.

Colquhoun began running in 2000, starting with short 20-minute jogs. “I wasn’t from any sporting background at all,” she says. “I started on some roads, did some triathlons for a couple of years, and then concentrated on marathons.” Later, she says, she joined a hill-running club and then fell into ultras by mistake. “I went on a social run that was billed as 28 miles, and it ended up being 36. It all led on from there, really.”

As a member of the UK division of the Vasque Ultra Running Team, Colquhoun competes in numerous long-distance races throughout the year. She is currently the record holder at several high-profile events, including the 95-mile West Highland Way and the 66-mile Kintyre Way, both in Scotland. “Lucy is an exceptional athlete who we’re extremely proud to have on board as part of the Vasque team,” says Vasque brand director Mark Dinndorf. “She definitely puts our shoes to the test.”

The Vasque Blur is a supple, lightweight shoe that provides exceptional feel on uneven terrain. Its streamlined design makes it ideal for shorter distances and fast-paced runners, but as Lucy has shown, it’s also up for the long haul.

Based in Red Wing, Minnesota, Vasque is a leading manufacturer of performance outdoor footwear. For more information about Vasque’s products, visit www.vasque.com.
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