inov-8 athlete Alex Nichols Wins Moab Red Hot Ultra

News Release (Inov8) / 18.02.2014

Committed inov-8 athlete Alex Nichols tore up the trails - and the competition - to win the elite-stacked Moab Red Hot 55k race, in Utah.

In doing so, Alex, who placed third in last year’s International Skyrunning Federation Sky Series, laid down a serious marker of intent for the 2014 season ahead.

Last year’s race around the same red rock canyons and slick rock trails was won by Rob Krar, who carried that positive momentum into what turned out to be a memorable 2013.

Alex, whose winning time at the weekend of 3:57:11 was the third fastest ever recorded on the course, hopes he too can use his own Moab Red Hot 55k victory to propel him onto great things in 2014.

“The pace was super-fast from the start, but I felt great,” said Alex.

“The course was also fast, much faster than most of the racing I have done in the last year, so that brought on a whole new set of challenges.

“Part of the course involved some technical slick rock sections. I pushed the pace hard when we hit these sections, both uphill and downhill. My inov-8 Trailroc 245 shoes definitely gave me an advantage. The grip and underfoot protection, meant I was able to run fast and hard over sections that others walked on.

“In the final four miles I put down everything I had to catch and pass the leader.

“I was delighted to win the race. There was some seriously fast road and trail runners in the group, and, like myself, a lot of elite runners using the race as a starting point for 2014.

“I would say it ranks similar to my seventh place finish at the Mont Blanc Marathon last year. Just like then, I came back from an injury and exceeded my expectations.”

As well as the Trailroc 245, Alex also wore the new inov-8 Race Elite Ultra Short and award-winning Race Ultra Vest.

He said: “The Race Ultra Vest helped me win the Red Hot 55k, no doubt about it.

“With the storage ability and comfort the vest possesses, I was able to skip all of the aid stations along the course and gain valuable ground on my rivals, while still carrying all of the fuel and water I needed to push the pace to the very end.”

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