XTERRA, the US nation’s premier off-road triathlon and trail run series, has unleashed a trio of new sponsorships:
- First up, Rudy Project is on board as XTERRA’s official and exclusive eyewear and helmet sponsor in the US;
- Breakthrough Nutrition becomes the official online nutrition store of the XTERRA America Tour series; and
- As the official hotel partner of XTERRA, Choice Hotels International will provide XTERRA racers, friends and family with a discount at participating hotels.
These latest sponsorship deals follow PowerBar signing up as exclusive energy bar and gel of XTERRA, AVIA as a presenting sponsor and John Paul Mitchell Systems, re-signing as Presenting Sponsor in 2012. Paul Mitchell is the longest-tenured corporate sponsor in the history of XTERRA.
Rudy Project
As XTERRA’s official and exclusive eyewear and helmet sponsor in the US, Rudy Project, an endurance sports leader in sunglasses, prescription eyewear and helmet manufacturing, will continue this partnership through to 2014.
This week, Rudy Project also confirmed it had signed three time XTERRA World Champion Melanie McQuaid as official helmet and sunglass sponsor through to 2014.
Meanwhile, last month, Rudy Project North America (RPNA) confirmed it is now doing business under the name, Running and Cycling Enterprises (RACE). In addition to Rudy Project branded products, RACE will also distribute XX2i Optics, billed as ‘affordable eyewear for our times’. RPNA and XX2i will still conduct business under their respective names, albeit operating under RACE.
With the XTERRA partnership, XX2i will operate as the official ‘affordable’ eyewear for XTERRA.
“Over the years, we’ve had a solid working relationship with the folks and athletes at XTERRA, so it only made sense to partner with them officially, given their influential, positive role in the endurance world,” said Paul Craig, President and Co-Founder of Rudy Project North America. “By partnering with XTERRA, Rudy Project and XX2i hope to grow within the sport of triathlon, cycling and running,” he added.
As a participating sponsor, Rudy Project will connect with XTERRA’s active, US audience of adventure seekers, weekend warriors and competitors via the XTERRA America Tour of more than 100 off-road triathlons and trail runs held across the country annually.
“Rudy Project has a history of making great products, evident in the number of athletes seen wearing their sunglasses and helmets at our races,” said Tom Kiely, CEO of TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA. “They have also been great supporters of the sport of triathlon, and we’re excited to have them on our team,” he added.
The partnership is also good news for XTERRA athletes, as Rudy Project sunglasses, helmets and performance bags will be awarded at events nationwide. XTERRA endurance athletes, their families and friends can also benefit via exclusive XTERRA special offers.
Breakthrough Nutrition
Breakthrough Nutrition becomes the official online nutrition store of the XTERRA America Tour series of off-road triathlons – following a deal confirmed by TEAM Unlimited, owner and producer of XTERRA.
Clifton Duhon, the President of Breakthrough Nutrition, has fine-tuned and consistently updated a list of products he and his team believes best fit the needs of endurance athletes. This range of products are on offer in one place at bt-nutrition.com.
“How an athlete manages their nutrition is important to their success and enjoyment of the sport, and we think Cliff and his team at Breakthrough Nutrition can provide valuable support in this arena,” said Tom Kiely, CEO of TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA.
“We are a company founded by athletes for athletes who want to achieve their absolute best,” noted Duhon. “We believe an elite level of service should not come with an elite price tag, and that achieving a Breakthrough Performance is better than winning any trophy.”
Breakthrough Nutrition will be on-site at the XTERRA West Championship and can cater nutritional and coaching strategies to the individual athlete.
“We believe that every athlete is unique and deserves a unique training plan, and we do our best to set athletes up with a plan tailored to their needs,” added Duhon.
Based out of Maui, Breathrough Nutrition is a specialist online supplier of sports nutrition products. The retailer’s inventory of brands includes PowerBar, GU Energy Gel, MET-Rx, BSN, Vega, Muscle Milk, Cytomax and many others. From its base in Hawaii, Breathrough Nutrition is now in the process of expanding its operations out to the mainland US market.
Choice Hotels International
TEAM Unlimited has also confirmed that it has partnered with Choice Hotels International Inc ‘to provide athletes with clean and comfortable places to stay at great rates.’ In 2012 XTERRA will host more than 100 races in 16 countries and everywhere XTERRA roams athletes are sure to find a Choice Hotels location nearby.
Choice Hotels has more than 6,100 Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, Ascend Collection, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn branded hotels worldwide.
As the Official Hotel Partner of XTERRA, Choice Hotels will provide XTERRA racers, friends and family with a discount at participating hotels. To receive the special XTERRA rate, athletes simply need to call the Choice Hotels Sports Desk at +1 877 240 2929 or visit choicesportstravel.com and provide the XTERRA discount code: 00224890.
“We believe in the amateur athlete and are excited to provide great travel experiences for XTERRA competitors this year,” said Grant Pearce, Sport Sales Manager for Choice Hotels International.
“XTERRA athletes travel hundreds and in many cases thousands of miles to compete, and providing them with consistent value at Choice Hotels brand properties throughout the US and overseas is a great benefit,” added Tom Kiely, the CEO of TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA.
