Celebrating the unique pursuits and interests in the sport of fastpacking and trail/road running, Ultimate Direction, the Colorado-based brand that designs apparel and gear for self-propelled athletes of all levels, recently revealed its 2023 athlete roster of trail and road runners and FKT-setters. The brand has selected 17 athletes who are committed to living life with play and passion while exemplifying dedication to their individual sports and communities.
This announcement comes at an exciting time after recent race wins including Jeff Colt’s (in photo at right) irst place overall and Nicole Bitter’s second place female overall podium at the 2023 Bandera 100K, Joseph Gray’s first place podium win at United States Snowshoe Association’s National Championship race, and Ryan Montgomery’s third place male overall podium at Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB 102K.
The brand also just hosted its first Athlete Summit since 2019, where it brought eight athletes into its headquarters for product development and field testing, as well as team community-building.
“Building a team of skill, strength, passion and community that we can nurture and support this year was our top priority,” explains Robyn Howard, director of brand and marketing for Exxel Outdoors. “We are impressed by our team members’ performances on and off the trail — from working to build community within their neighborhoods and to training for top performances at this year’s notable events, we know the team will shine.”
2023 Athlete Roster:
Amelia Boone, Ultrarunner and OCR.
Cameron James, OCR.
Grayson Murphy, Trail, road, and track runner.
Jacky Hunt-Broersma, Trail and ultrarunner.
James Lauriello, FKT-setter and trail runner.
Jason Schlarb, Trail and ultrarunner.
Jeff Colt, Trail and ultrarunner.
John Kelly, FKT-setter, trail, and ultrarunner.
Joseph Gray, road and trail runner.
Justin Simoni, FKT-setter and trail runner.
Kriste Peoples, Trail runner.
Kyle Robidoux, Trail and ultrarunner.
Nadia Ruiz, Trail and road runner.
Nicole Bitter, Traill and ultrarunner.
Ryan Montgomery, Trail and ultrarunner.
Tara Warren, FKT-setter, trail, and ultrarunner.
Zach Bitter, Road, trail, and ultrarunner.
Throughout the year, Ultimate Direction will be highlighting each athlete’s individual journey and contributions to their sport and community through its social media channels.
