TRAIL RUNNING POLES CAPTURE NORTH AMERICA
To appreciate the arrival of Trail Running poles in the US it is important to understand a bit of European running history. Poles have been used in the Alps for years as trail runners and racers have come to appreciate the significant benefits in both their performance and improvedenergy reserves. Afewyearsago, elite US racers attending international races in Europe started to notice how a vast majority of International racers were using poles. Tim Tollefson, LEKI athlete and winner of the rugged Laverado trail race recalls, “In 2015, my friend Zach (Miller) and I were probably the only 2 starters at the CCC without poles. During the race, we registered how beneficial the poles were for other athletes. Before I came back to race the UTMB in 2016 I used the whole summer to train with poles.” After a few years of running with poles, Tollefson is a convert stating, “In a mountainous race, like UTMB, I use poles on every climb. Often, in the later parts of the race, I use them on downhills, too, to navigate technical terrain reducing the eccentric loading on joints which helps prevent soreness, muscle damage, and failure.”
Sabrina Stanley, the winner of the Hardrock 100, one of the most rugged races in North America, recalls that “At first trail running started as something that people did to enjoy nature. Now there is a second wave of runners discovering the trails. I believe this wave of runners is more competitive and achievement- oriented. The bigger this wave becomes the more likely poles are to grow in popularity in the US.” Over the last few years, more and more top athletes from North America have been participating in European races. Michael Brechtelsbauer, International Director of Sales and Marketing for LEKI notes, “Races like the UTMB have become incredibly international, and many races are seeing international competitors. Athletes from the US in particular are getting many of the top podium spots.” In the 2020 Transgrancanaria, LEKI athletes Kaytlyn Gerbin and Dylan Bowman took first and third, respectively. Elite racer Dylan Bowman shares his insights on the use of poles in Europe, “Nearly 100 percent of European runners are using poles at UTMB, whereas only 60-70 percent of US athletes were running with poles in European races. I think there is definitely more acceptance and knowledge about the advantages of poles, but we still have to catch up.” Kaytlyn Gerbin has come to appreciate the benefits of running with poles stating that, “When I ran my first 100-mile race in 2016, I grabbed poles at mile 80 when my legs were tired. Since then, I’ve only been running mountainous races in the US with poles.” With insight from these top athletes, it is easy to see why trail running poles are quickly becoming an essential piece of equipment throughout North America.
DYLAN BOWMAN USA Trail Runner with LEKI POLES
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