Team Montrail 2011

The 2011 Montrail Team was announced this week, and I'm thrilled to be joining the team, as it's an amazing group of people.  Maybe some of Ellie's speed will wear off on me?  I've worn a lot of shoes in the past 4 years, but Montrails have been the ones I have turned to more often than not, and have gotten me through some tough technical races; I'm excited to represent them.  Here's the official press release that announces the team:

Richmond, CA (February 1, 2011) – Montrail, the leader in trail-inspired running and recovery footwear, is thrilled to announce its 2011 trail running team. Comprised of top trail and ultra runners from around North America, the 2011 edition of Team Montrail will have the difficult task of improving upon its successes in 2010.

“At Montrail, we look to align the brand with athletes who are pushing the limits, achieving success and helping to shape the future of trail and ultrarunning,” said Montrail Athlete Manager Jesse Malman.  “For 2011, we’ve compiled a group of individuals who are at the top of their sport, and committed to helping the sport to grow in popularity and in participation.”

In 2010, Montrail athletes had several notable wins and achievements, including:Ultrarunning Magazine’s 2010 Ultrarunner of the Year (Geoff Roes), 2010 Female Ultrarunning Performance of the Year (Ellie Greenwood) and 2010 Male Ultrarunning Performance of the Year (Geoff Roes). Max King had a stellar year winning the Xterra Trail Running World Championship, USATF Trail Half Marathon and Trail Marathon Championship, while Annette Bednosky topped the podium at the USATF 100 Mile Trail Championship. With several other first place finishes, course records and major speed records in 2010, Team Montrail has set a high bar for 2011.

This year, top runners Geoff Roes, Max King, Dakota Jones, Ellie Greenwood and Joelle Vaught will be back along with the majority of the 2010 team, as well as four new additions:

Megan Lund: This Aspen, Colorado native is a 2-time Olympic marathon trials qualifier and 2-time USA Mountain Running team member.  She’s the winner of the 2010 Sierre Zinal Mountain Race in Switzerland.  Megan looks to run many high-profile mountain races in Europe this summer, along with the Pikes Peak Ascent and USATF Trail Half Marathon Championship.

Amy Sproston: Amy lives in Portland, Oregon and is a 2-time Massanutten 100 winner, winner of the 2010 JFK 50 and the 2010 Pine to Palm 100.  Her focus for the first half of 2011 will be Western States 100.

Ryan Burch: Ryan is a native of Colorado and is a force in the mountains.  2010 highlights include wins at the Antelope Island 50, Leadville Marathon and Grand Mesa 100.  This year, look for Ryan to compete near the front at Western States 100 and Leadville 100.

Andy Henshaw: Andy lives in Steilacoom, Washington and at the young age of 25 is just beginning to find his groove.  In 2011, he’ll focus on the 50 mile and 100k distances and will look to qualify for the USA 100k Team.

“This talented team of runners is also a group of active and influential members of the running community,” continued Jesse. “They are a strong group of race directors, coaches, trainers, and running addicts…we couldn’t be more excited about the year ahead for Team Montrail.”

With great excitement and anticipation, here’s your 2011 Montrail Trail Running Team:

Annette Bednosky – Jefferson, NC

Ryan Burch – Ft. Collins, CO

Luis Escobar – Santa Maria, CA

Ellie Greenwood – Banff, AB

Matt Hart – Salt Lake City, UT

Andy Henshaw – Steilacoom, WA

David Horton – Lynchburg, VA

Dakota Jones – Ft. Collins, CO

Max King – Bend, OR

Megan Lund – Basalt, CO

Ryne Melcher – Vancouver, BC

Sean Meissner – Sisters, OR

Luanne Park – Redding, CA

Jill Perry – Manlius, NY

Geoff Roes – Nederland, CO

Gary Robbins – North Vancouver, BC

Erik Skaden – Sacramento, CA

Amy Sproston – Portland, OR

Joelle Vaught – Boise, ID

About Montrail:

Montrail is a premium outdoor brand known for its high performance trail-specific and recovery footwear.  Serving as the trail running authority since 1993, Montrail is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company based in Richmond, Calif. Montrail distributes its products through specialty outdoor, running and sporting goods retailers throughout the United States and over 30 countries worldwide.  Montrail is committed to delivering innovative performance footwear with outstanding runability for the New Breed of Runner.  To learn more about Montrail, please visit: www.montrail.com.