inov-8 gets a grip on Pacific Northwest mud with Rainshadow Running

Press release from ATRA corporate member inov-8.  Photos of Yassine Diboun from inov-8.

inov-8, the All-terrain running brand, has announced its title sponsorship of the 2017 Rainshadow Running Race Series. The sponsorship is a year-long partnership that includes 16 trail races of varying distances from 25-100k across the Pacific Northwest, including the Western States 100 Mile Qualifier, Gorge Falls 100k on April 8th.

The Rainshadow Running Race series – directed by James Varner – takes trail runners from near and far to some of the most beautiful and challenging terrain that the Northwest U.S. has to offer. “I try to find unique locations that force runners to take these mini-vacations — maybe make a weekend of it — to run places that they’ve never been to before,” says Varner. And the races can turn into mini-vacations, because Varner offers race finishers the opportunity to celebrate and share their running experiences over the best of what the local social scene has to offer in food, beer and live music.

Filled with moss-covered trees, steep inclines, snowcapped mountains, gorges, and waterfalls everywhere; each Rainshadow race promises to be worth the trip. The RainShadow series provides the perfect wet and muddy backdrop for inov-8’s Get a Grip Campaign. The Get a Grip Campaign will focus on inov-8s versatile outsoles and their ability grip and perform on any terrain; more details about the campaign will be announced later this month.

Michael Price, inov-8 director of product and marketing, says of the partnership, “We see the Northwest as a place that is just as special as the Lakes District where we are based in the UK. The terrain is so varied, with mud, rain, rocks, roots, it is what makes the running so fun and unpredictable. Our shoes excel in these conditions where you need to have confidence in every step, no matter what the trails through at you.”

“The partnership with Rainshadow Running started last year with the Trail Running Film Festival. We saw the quality of Rainshadow events and how they positively inspired and impacted the local trail running communities they visited. We decided to expand the partnership this year to include these challenging races in beautiful locations,” says Jonathan McLean, US Event and Grassroots Manager at inov-8.

Throughout the year, inov-8 and Rainshadow Running will be offering free race entries to the sold out series on Instagram at @inov_8 and @rainshadowrunning.

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