October 18, 2002
BOSTON, October 18, 2002 - In conjunction with the release of a brand-new line of Adventure shoes, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. has teamed up with the United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA) to be the title and presenting sponsor of both the USARA Sprint and the Long Course Adventure Race National Championships in Fall 2002.
"We are proud to be involved in the USARA Adventure Racing National Championships - two of the largest and most competitive adventure races in the country," says Kimberly Landry, Promotions Associate at New Balance. "The sport of Adventure racing has been growing and this sponsorship is a perfect fit for us as a manufacturer of high-performance footwear for the adventure athlete."
The Sprint Championships will be held in Smithville, TX on October 19, 2002 and entails 50-70 teams of three navigating through an 8-12 hour racecourse of trail running, mountain biking, paddling, river swimming, and a variety of "mystery" events. The mystery events are creative obstacles presenting competitors with unique challenges and developed to test a team's creativity, communication, and teamwork.
On November 8-9, 2002, Sapphire Valley, North Carolina will host the Long Course Championships. This competition challenges participants to trail running, mountain biking, paddling, navigation, and rappelling. The 60 teams of four participants will finish in 24 to 36 hours.
At each event, New Balance will host an interactive booth featuring shoe try-on and apparel presentations. In addition, the winners of each race will receive New Balance products.
The new line of New Balance Adventure shoes features two styles for Fall 2002. The MA/WA900 debuted as a mid-cut lightweight waterproof boot with a Sympatex® bootie construction for the outdoor athlete. Also new is the MA/WA700, an aggressive multi-activity shoe designed with Abzorb® cushioning in the heel and a Stability Web® to meet the performance needs of the outdoor sports enthusiast. Through a strategic partnership with retailer J.C. Penney, these styles are available at more than 300 participating J.C. Penney stores nationwide, as well as other key retail outlets.
The United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA), headquartered in Austin, TX and founded in 1997, is the official governing body for adventure racing in the United States. The 2002 race is the 3rd Annual Adventure Racing National Championships. For more information please visit www.usara.com.
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., headquartered in Boston, MA, is a leading manufacturer of technologically innovative width-sized footwear and athletic apparel for women, men, and children. The range of product categories includes running, walking, cross training, basketball, tennis, adventure sports, and kids. Work and hiking boots, sandals, boat shoes, and rugged casuals are also available through the company's Dunham Bootmakers division. Dunham joined the New Balance family in Fall 1998. New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. employs more than 2,400 people around the globe, and in 2001 reported worldwide sales of $1.16 billion. For more information please visit http://www.newbalance.com.
