Jeff Browning, Patagonia trail running ambassador, successfully defended his title at the San Diego 100 ultra running race on June 8. Despite brutally hot conditions, Browning completed the race in 16:59:24 just behind his record pace in 2012.
During the race, Browning offered a sneak peak of the EVERlong, Patagonia’s new road-inspired trail shoe that Browning helped design. Browning’s insights and testing played a key role in the development of the athlete-focused footwear and expansion of the brand’s trail running collection for Spring 2014.
Browning’s full race report and profile of Patagonia’s ambassador team is available at http://www.gobroncobilly.com/ and http://www.patagonia.com/us/sports/trail-running.
According to Browning, “This was one of the tougher races due to the punishing 100+ degree heat and challenging and exposed terrain. The race proved to be a great test of the EVERlong’s ability to go the distance while also meeting my needs for stability, lightness and cushion. Being part of the development process enabled me to help bring a shoe to life that not only meets my specific wants, but features and needs I've heard other runners express as well.”
“We are very excited to work with Jeff on the evolution of our trail running shoes and cannot wait to launch our new EVERlong shoe at Outdoor Retailer this summer,” said Mark Hofmann, product marketing manager for Patagonia Footwear. “It really is a great, universal shoe that will meet the needs of all sorts of runners.”
The EVERlong, available November 2013, is a road-inspired trail shoe with added cushioning for long distance comfort and one of the company’s lightest shoes to date (6.1 ounces for women and 8.4 ounces for men). The EVERlong features a durable welded mesh upper with minimal seams to keep feet cool and comfortable on the trail. An internal midfoot wrap holds the foot securely on descents and turns. A flexible 4mm drop midsole and outsole allow for a more natural mid to forefoot strike while the 24.5mm/20.5mm (men) and 23mm/19mm (women) stack height provides added cushioning for long-distance comfort. A lightly padded, semi heel counter “pod” secures the heel.
