New Balance has confirmed the signing of its latest Team New Balance triathlete, reigning ITU World Champion Non Stanford. Together with fellow Team New Balance triathlete Lukas Verzibicas, the New Balance brand is making waves to align itself with the top triathletes in the world.
(Non’s deal with New Balance follows a recently confirmed sponsorship with wetsuit brand Orca, which was confirmed in January and saw Non become the newest member of the Team Orca roster of sponsored athletes.)
Running ahead
“As we grow in the sport of triathlon, we are proud to add Non to our team as a top global triathlete who shares our brand values,” said John Evans, Running Sports Marketing General Manager at New Balance. “With such a strong background in running Non is an amazing addition to Team New Balance and we look forward to working with her to help her achieve her goals.”
As a standout runner, Stanford transitioned into triathlon at the University of Birmingham and quickly became one of the most visible athletes in the sport. In 2012, Stanford won the ITU World U23 title, and became the first female to follow it up the next year by winning the ITU World Triathlon Series (ITU WTS) Championship.
Originally from West Wales, Stanford currently lives in Leeds and trains under Coaches Jack Maitland and Malcolm Brown.
“I’m very excited to start competing for Team New Balance,” said Stanford. “My training philosophy has always been without compromise, so it is great to be welcomed into a company with the same drive and dedication to be the best. I’m looking forward to a strong and successful partnership over the coming years.”
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, notes that it is currently the only major shoe company that manufactures athletic footwear in the US. As the company pointed out… ‘in 2013, 1 out of every 4 pairs of shoes we sold in the US was made or assembled here.’
New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, UK. The company employs more than 4,000 associates around the globe, and in 2013 reported worldwide sales of US$2.73 billion.
