Runners can enter for a chance to compete in
the brand's Fastest Known Time challenge to become a sponsored
brand athlete
ROCKFORD, Mich., July 27,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrell®, the world's
leading hike and outdoor footwear brand, announced a contest for
trail runners to win a chance to race for a spot on its elite,
international athlete roster as part of its Get Fastest Known Time
(FKT) challenge. The two new Merrell athletes will be signed for
the 2024 season and work first-hand with the brand's product
research and development test lab.
Merrell launched its "Get FKT" marketing campaign in tandem with
the Merrell Test Lab (MTL) Skyfire 2 debut in April 2023, which is on pace to become the trail
running shoe with the most FKTs – the fastest known time on a
certain route that is at least five miles long or has 500 feet of
climbing, set in the world.
To prove they are the ultimate race day shoe, Merrell is hosting
a challenge for trail runners to race and become signed Merrell
athletes by setting a brand new FKT route while wearing the MTL
Skyfire 2. The MTL Skyfire 2 is powerfully fast and practically
weightless as the lightest plated trail running shoe on the market
– coming in at under 7 oz. while maintaining 5mm lugs.
"Think you're fast? Put your miles where your mouth is and enter
for a chance to race for a spot on our elite roster of sponsored
athletes," said Merrell Senior Brand Marketing Specialist
Ben Stark. "This is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for runners who wouldn't
traditionally have an opportunity to work with a brand at this
scale."
Merrell's online sweepstakes to attend the challenge runs from
Thursday, July 27, 2023, through
Friday, August 18, 2023. To enter,
visit merrell.com/athletesearch. Details include:
- Six applicants (three male, three female) will be selected to
race for a spot to become a member of the brand's sponsored athlete
team at an exclusive Get FKT event.
- Contestants will put the MTL Skyfire 2s to the test in the
Get FKT challenge on the 3.2-mile route with 2,201 feet of
climbing.
- The one male and one female trail runners who set the FKT
at the event will be crowned Merrell's Get FKT challenge
winners.
- The two Get FKT challenge winners will each earn a
sponsored spot on Merrell's global trail team.
"We have been at the forefront of studying the unpredictable
nature of the trail for more than 40 years, from varying terrain
types and changing weather conditions across a multitude of
climates. MTL's materials and technologies help athletes adapt and
overcome the ever-changing nature of the trail. Our core knowledge
and legacy continue to set the tone for rapid breakthroughs in the
trail run space that other brands are now chasing," said Stark.
MTL is the brand's in-house product incubator where its most
technical and category disruptive innovations are conceived. The
MTL collection is lab verified and athlete validated – working with
athletes worldwide on rigorous prototype testing to refine and
create products that continue to push the boundaries in the outdoor
space.
"Being a Merrell athlete has made my dreams come true and it's
exciting to offer that chance to two new trail runners," said
Merrell Athlete Rachel Tomajczyk. "I'm able to test MTL products
and give feedback on gear so I know I'm racing in the best shoes on
the trail and setting the bar high for elite performance."
Tomajczyk has set more than a dozen FKTs wearing the MTL Skyfire
2 and its prototypes to date.
"On your mark, get FKT," said Tomajczyk.
To enter, applicants must be at least 18 years old, a U.S.
citizen, and complete the online submission form by Friday, August 18, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Merrell's Get FKT challenge will
be held on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023,
in Steamboat Springs, CO.
Sweepstakes winners will receive compensated travel and lodging
accommodations to attend the race.
Athlete endorsement agreements can include but are not limited
to base compensation, Merrell product credit, participation in
Merrell's Affiliate Program, social content, exclusivity rights,
working with product development on new prototype testing and
feedback, reimbursement of travel expenses and race entry fee
coverage.
For more information on Merrell, please visit
merrell.com. For more information on the Merrell Test Lab,
visit merrelltestlab.com. To enter the contest for a chance to
attend the Merrell FKT race, visit merrell.com/athletesearch.
ABOUT MERRELL:
Merrell exists to share the simple power of being outside and is
committed to building an inclusive and sustainable environment for
future generations to enjoy. As the global leader in outdoor active
footwear with the Moab hiking boot and Jungle Moc, Merrell is
focused on merging performance, styling, and comfort to empower all
people to confidently explore the outdoors. The brand was recently
named Footwear News' 2022 Brand of the Year for promoting a more
diverse vision of the outdoors. Visit Merrell.com or follow us on
social @Merrell. Merrell is a division of Wolverine World Wide,
Inc. (NYSE: WWW), one of the world's leading marketers and
licensors of branded casual, active lifestyle, work, outdoor sport,
athletic, children's and uniform footwear and apparel.
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SOURCE Merrell