Trail races in Indiana, Arizona and Maryland kick off popular, seven-month race series.

Sponsored by La Sportiva, the Trail Runner Trophy Series is the world’s largest off-road running series, encompassing 121 races held between March 1 to September 30. Kicking off this year’s series on March 1 are the Foot Pursuit 5k in Valparasio, Indiana, Old Peublo 50-Mile Endurance Run in Sonoita, Arizona, and Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon and 50K in Damascus, Maryland.

Throughout the series, over 20,000 trail runners will earn points for completing races and bonus points for winning age-group or overall categories. Runners clash in two divisions: (1) marathon and shorter and (2) ultramarathon (races longer than 26.2 miles).

Trophy Series participants can earn credits towards mountain-running shoes from La Sportiva and a chance to become an honorary member of the La Sportiva Mountain Running Team. This person will receive four pairs of La Sportiva mountain-running shoes and a team apparel package including socks, headlamp, singlet, t-shirt, shorts, warm-up jacket and headwear. “La Sportiva makes footwear specifically designed for the kind of the obstacles and terrain found in Trophy Series races, so this partnership is a great fit,” says team manager, Buzz Burrell.

The top male and female finishers in each age group are awarded prize packages containing products from Original Buff, Trigger Point Therapy, Amphipod, Gore-Tex, Suunto, Pro-Tec Athletics, Moeben Sleeves, GU Energy Gel, GlacierGel, Injinji, Julbo, PowerSox, La Sportiva and Kahtoola. The season’s male and female Trail Runners of the Year in the marathon-and-under and ultramarathon categories will be featured in Trail Runner’s January/February 2009 issue.

“I am very honored to have won the Ultra Division, and all my training, discipline and focus led to a very fulfilling year,” says 2007 Trophy Series Ultra Division winner, Diane Van Deren. “Participating in the Trophy Series gave me the opportunity to run all different types of courses and conditions.” Read more about Van Deren and other division winners in the Trail Runner Trophy Series Supplement distributed free at all Trophy Series races.

Monthly updated Trophy Series points standings, a list of Trophy Series races, press releases, race reports, profiles of past winners and details about the prizes and promotions available only to Trophy Series participants can be found www.trailrunnermag.com.

As the leading publication for one of North America’s fastest growing sports (40 million participants according to the Outdoor Industry Foundation’s 2006 report), Trail Runner features in-depth editorial and compelling photography that informs, entertains and inspires readers of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoors and improve their health and fitness through the sports of trail running, adventure racing and snowshoeing.Celebrating their 80th anniversary in 2008, La Sportiva brings a strong alpine mountaineering and climbing heritage to their line of performance mountain footwear. This core experience enables La Sportiva to offer the most versatile technical climbing, mountaineering, Mountain Running® and trail sport shoes on the market. www.sportiva.com.

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