The new Carbon X shoe embodies Hoka-signature max-cushion and minimal-weight to empower all athletes to reach their personal best; Hoka athletes will take on World and American records at 100K to commemorate the product launch.
Hoka One One, a division of Deckers Brands (NYSE: DECK) announces Project Carbon X, a 100K World Record attempt by multiple HOKA athletes. Project Carbon X will mark the launch of the Carbon X, a racing shoe that embodies the impossibly-cushioned, impossibly-lightweight construction pioneered by Hoka upon the brand’s launch ten years ago.
Project Carbon X features a 100K race starting in Folsom, Calif. and finishing in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, May 4. Hoka ultrarunners Jim Walmsley, Patrick Reagan, Tyler Andrews, and Mike Wardian, alongside reigning IAAF 100KWorld Champion Hideaki Yamauchi and fellow Japanese runner Yoshiki Takada, will attempt to better Nao Kazami’sWorld Record of 6:09:14, set last year. Hoka athlete Sabrina Little, along with Aiko Kanematsu, will also race the 100Kand chase the women’s World Record of 6:33:11, set in 2000 by Tomoe Abe. Hoka athletes Sage Canaday, Tim Freriks, Sarah Bard and Jared Hazen will act as pacers during the record attempts.
Additionally, five teams of ten runners each will simultaneously participate in a 10x10K relay on the same course. A mix of Hoka athletes and athletes from select retail partners, these mixed-gender teams will also seek to break the 10x10K mixed-gender World Record.
NorCalUltras, a Roseville, Calif.-based ultrarunning event management company, will direct the race.
Information on Project Carbon X, including teaser videos, can be found here. This page will also host a live stream of Project Carbon X May 4. The 10x10K mixed-gender relay begins at 5:50 AM PST, and the 100K race begins at 6 AM. The live feed will include commentary from Hoka athletes Magda Boulet and Eric Senseman, among other commentators.
“My passion and love of running is rooted in the trails; however, road ultras have a history that excites me,” said Walmsley, who in 2018 set a course record at both the Western States Endurance Run and Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, and won his third consecutive “Ultrarunner of the Year” title from Ultrarunning Magazine. “I’m fortunate to work with Hoka given their history of creating innovative, performance-oriented products for any surface or distance.”
“Project Carbon X celebrates Hoka’s vision of empowering a world of athletes to fly over the Earth,” said Wendy Yang, President of Hoka One One. “Some of our top athletes will be chasing a new world standard in our most innovative shoe yet, and they’ll be doing it alongside relay teams who are also chasing a world record. The Carbon X is designed for athletes of all types to chase their own personal best.”
The Carbon X is designed to propel athletes to their best performance and is filled with features for athletes of all levels, regardless of distance or speed. It features a carbon-fiber plate in its midsole and an aggressive Metarocker, which are designed to provide an efficient, propulsive ride for athletes going any speed. Hoka’s signature active footframe construction is designed to make the shoe remarkably stable and supportive for a racing flat that weighs in at a mere 8.5 ounces (men’s size 9).
“The Carbon X embodies everything that has made Hoka such a popular and quickly-growing brand,” said Gretchen Weimer, Vice President of Product at Hoka One One. “Combining premium performance engineering, an extraordinary weight-to-cushion ratio, and a user-friendly geometry and ride, this shoe is designed to empower athletes the world over, and to help them feel like they can fly.”
The Carbon X will be available for sale at hokaoneone.com May 15 and will launch globally online and in retailers June 1.
Lead Image: Jim Walmsley will be among the Hoka athletes attempting a 100K World Record at Project Carbon X
