The 2012 running team consists of the top trail runners and ultrarunners from across North America. With nearly the entire athlete roster returning and a packed 2012 racing schedule, the team is looking to build on the successes of the 2011 season.
In 2011, Montrail athletes had several notable wins and achievements including:
- Ultrarunning Magazine’s Ultrarunner of the Year, Ellie Greenwood
- The Rim to Rim to Rim record at the Grand Canyon, Dakota Jones
- Twelve first places finishes and two second place finishes in 18 total started races including three course records, Max King
- Five major first place finishes with two course records at Chuckanut 50 miler and DRTE 100, Geoff Roes
- Three consecutive wins – Way Too Cool 50k, Silver State 50/50 and Pocatello 50, Joelle Vaught
- Three consecutive wins – Belmonte 25k, Bull Run 50 Miler and Bear Mountain 50 Miler, Annette Bednosky
For the 2012 season there are 17 athletes on the roster, competing in a total of 100 races in 23 states and 10 countries. Top runners King, Roes, Jones, Greenwood and Megan Lizotte are back and, along with the rest of the Montrail Team, are ready to dominate the race-packed 2012 season. Highlights already in the books for 2012 include King and Lizotte starting the year at the Olympic Marathon Trials (King with a new PR), Roes with a first place finish in the foot race of the Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska and first (with a course record) and third place finishes by Greenwood and Vaught in the Chuckanut 50k.
Follow the results as Team Montrail travels the world from the Canary Islands in Spain for the Transvulcania Marathon (Jones & Roes), to France for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (Greenwood & Gary Robbins), to Durban South Africa for the Comrades Marathon (Greenwood & Amy Sproston), to Katowice, Poland for the IAU World 24 Hour Championships (Ryne Melcher) and to Malaysia for the Kinabalu Mountain Race (King).
The racing doesn’t just take place overseas, Montrail athletes will race across the U.S. in the Ultra Cup Series – Lake Sonoma 50 and Leona Divide in California, the Ice Age 50 in Wisconsin and then back to California for the Western States 100. In early April, Jones is going for a speed record of the Zion Traverse, King is racing the Speedgoat 50k this summer in Utah, and Vaught, Greenwood, King & Roes are racing the Ultra Race of Champions in Virginia and the TNF Endurance Challenge 50 Miler at the end of the year just to name a few.
In addition to the packed race schedule this season, Team Montrail will be working in collaboration with Mountain Hardwear product designers to develop a new race kit for seasons ahead. Having some of the best trail runners in the county share their needs and test new products and technologies results in feedback that is invaluable to new product development.
2012 Team Montrail
Amy Sproston – Portland, OR
Annette Bednosky – Jefferson, NC
Dakota Jones – Ft. Collins, CO
Ellie Greenwood – Banff, AB
Erik Skaden – Sacramento, CA
Gary Robbins – Vancouver, BC
Geoff Roes – Nederland, CO
Jill Perry – Manlius, NY
Joelle Vaught – Boise, ID
Luanne Park – Redding, CA
Luis Escobar – Santa Maria, CA
Matt Hart – Salt Lake City, UT
Max King – Bend, OR
Megan Lizotte – Basalt, CO
Ryan Burch – Ft. Collins, CO
Ryne Melcher – Vancouver, BC
Sean Meissner – Sisters, OR