Dynafit is First Official Partner of ITRA

November 29, 2022

Aschheim, Nov. 29, 2022 /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – The International Trail Running Association (ITRA) is the leading umbrella organization globally for the sport of trail running. Now, ITRA and DYNAFIT are announcing their partnership. That makes the brand by athletes for athletes that develops premium product systems for mountain endurance athletes the first official partner of this sports federation, starting immediately. The partnership serves a mutual goal of over- riding importance: To promote trail running at an international level, to develop this new sport, and to support athletes globally in the best possible way.

Since its founding in July 2013, the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) with headquarters in Lausanne, Swit- zerland, has focused on the professionalization and continued development of trail running. Race safety, the health of runners, as well as the promotion of the diversity and strong value of the sport are at the heart. To this end, the partners- hip between DYNAFIT and ITRA effective immediately for a period of two years will also work to expand on this focus.

“We see trail running as an adventure, as an opportunity to test your personal limits and to connect with like-minded people. So many athletes all over the world these days take part in this sport with such great passion. And it is precisely this diverse and inclusive community that makes trail running so unique. ITRA aims to give a voice to these runners and to create the conditions needed for them to give their best on the trails. DYNAFIT represents the same goals and values, and that’s why we are thrilled to have this aspiring brand as a partner at our side starting immediately,” said Janet Ng, ITRA ́s president.

The origins of DYNAFIT can be traced back to the 1950s. At that time the focus was exclusively on winter sports. Aspiring to support mountain endurance athletes 365 days a year with performance gear, the brand expanded its portfolio in 2011 to include its first trail running products. Today, DYNAFIT counts among the leading trail brands and sponsors more than 30 international and national running events, including the Grossglockner Ultra Trail (AT), the L`Échappée Belle (FR), and the DYNAFITTransalpine Run which is a stage race crossing the Alps. In addition, the brand now has more than 30 trail running athletes on its team: Top runners such as Hannes Namberger and Rosanne Buchauer are among those who have made a name among the international elite and embody the values of DYNAFIT – and on the trail around the world. With an ITRA Score of 926 points, Namberger is at this time the top German trail runner. Burchauer can look back on an impressive 2022 race season, taking fifth place both in the legendary Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) CCC and in the 2022 Trail World Championships in Thailand.

“Trail running has developed in recent years into a professional and respected sport, and ITRA has laid vital ground- work. First, since the founding of ITRA, athletes have the opportunity to pursue the sport on a professional basis and to measure themselves against an international field. As a brand by athletes for athletes, DYNAFIT pursues the goal of supporting athletes in their ambitious endeavors in the best possible manner. The partnership with ITRA, the most important organization in Trail Running, is for us a significant step,” notes Alexander Nehls, DYNAFIT international marketing director.

ABOUT ITRA

In the early 2000s, a steadily growing and enthusiastic community formed around trail running. Indeed, what was missing was an official indicator as well as general conditions for the practice of the sport as a competitive discipline. In 2012, for the first time, more than 150 representatives of the international running scene came together in Italy’s Courmayeur to create a common foundation for the development of trail running and to define the values of the sport. Among those present were race organizers, brands, media, federation officials, trainers, and top athletes from 18 na- tions. Building on that, ITRA was founded in July 2013 as a non-profit organization. Among the self-proclaimed tasks of the federation since then are the guarantee of safety and quality standards, the defense of ethical principles, plus holding and supporting national and international races. Similarly, further development of a unified structure, promo- tion and exposure of the sport and its athletes, and networking trail running stakeholders are the global focus. With measurement criteria such as the Performance Index and the ITRA Score, the federation has for the first time created a system that allows an international comparison of courses and athletes. Since 2015, trail running is considered an officially recognized discipline, according to the World Athletics federation (World Athletics), with ITRA as its technical partner. Meanwhile, ITRA has more than 2 million registered runners and more than 25,000 various races that comply with the corresponding guiding principles of ITRA.