Swiftwick Performance Socks Named Presenting Sponsor of First Adventure Racing Championship in Tennessee
News Release / 17.09.2013
Nashville-based athletic sock company Swiftwick is proud to announce it is the presenting sponsor for the first-ever Tennessee Adventure Challenge. The Challenge will make its debut in conjunction with the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Championship and will see up to 200 of the best adventure racers in North America converge in Knoxville on Oct. 10 to compete for the national title. Each race typically includes three to five disciplines from the following list: mountain biking, trail running, trekking, rappelling, ascending, tyrolean traverse, zipline, caving, kayaking, canoeing, riverboarding, swimming, obstacle racing.
A long time supporter and sponsor of the Challenge, Swiftwick will be this year’s presenting sponsor, supplying all racers with custom Swiftwick athletic socks to wear during the competition. Swiftwick’s compression socks improve blood flow and circulation, which help to extend racers’ endurance and peak performance. Last year Swiftwick sponsored the world’s first all amputee adventure racing team during the event, and plans to sponsor more adaptive athletes during this year’s race.
"Adventure racers put their bodies and Swiftwick socks to the ultimate test," said Mark Cleveland, CEO of Swiftwick. "Helping to create and sponsor the Tennessee Adventure Challenge is extremely exciting for us. We’re thrilled to be involved in this great event and are proud that it’s in our home state."
Checkpoint Tracker is a national competitive adventure racing series with its own rankings and annual championship race. Its affiliate, the Tennessee Adventure Challenge, offers trail running, mountain biking and paddling (boat or Stand Up Paddle) on a set course. The course for both events is unrevealed and closely guarded before the race.
“This event will really shine a light on our little secret—the urban wilderness of Knoxville,” said Susan Whitaker, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “The Adventure Challenge will have an extraordinary impact on the state! Not only will it bring attention to the nature just steps outside of the city, but it will also offer a unique opportunity for the community and visitors to get in on the fun when the race ends at Market Square.”
Paul Angell, race director of Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing, says the event will eventually be a series taking place throughout Tennessee, including one leg in or near Nashville.
“Knoxville’s wilderness drew us to the area for our first-ever championship in an urban venue,” said Angell. ” Tennessee is playing a great host for our event, so it makes perfect sense that Swiftwick, a Tennessee-based company, is getting involved in such a huge way.”
“This event is representative of what we’re all about at Swiftwick,” said Cleveland. “Athletes putting themselves through the ultimate test in endurance and strength, right in our backyard, how could we not be excited about that?”
About Swiftwick
Founded in 2008, Swiftwick is headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn. The company is a performance sock manufacturer that proudly employs an American workforce in high-quality textile manufacturing. Swiftwick is an innovator in designing and producing superior athletic socks and compression socks. The company has a culture focused on manufacturing through environmentally friendly means, social responsibility and leading customer service. Learn more at http://www.swiftwick.com.
About the Tennessee Adventure Challenge
The Tennessee Adventure Challenge is a 4-6 hour multi-sport endurance race. Solo and two person teams will traverse an unmarked course using printed trail maps as they transition between 3-5 outdoor disciplines. Launching in Knoxville in October of 2103, the series will expand to 3 or more events across Tennessee in 2014. For more information about the race, to register or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.tnadventurechallenge.com.
