In a major move to carve out a piece of the trail running pie for itself, running shoe brand New Balance has announced a five-year sponsorship of the famed Mont Blanc Marathon.
Like the better-known UTMB, the Mont Blanc Marathon begins and ends in Chamonix in the French Alps and consists of several events of varying distances that kick off each year on the last weekend in June.
Organized by the Club des Sports de Chamonix, the marathon distance event has been going since 2003, but a shorter 23 km race that takes place on part of the same route has been an annual event dating back to 1979.
"New Balance and the Club des Sports de Chamonix share common values, building a sustainable future for trail running in the valley," writes the MBM in a news release.
The release states that the partnership will focus on live broadcasting of the races, developing the Young Race Marathon for young trail talents and raising the profile of the marathon distance event by increasing the presence of elite runners.
It also hopes to reduce the environmental impact of the event by limiting the carbon footprint linked to transport, though no further details are provided at this time on how this will be accomplished. Next year's event takes place on June 26 - 29, 2025.
With the global trail running shoes market valued at $7.3 billion in 2022 and projected by Allied Market Research to reach $12.4 billion by 2032, it's no surprise that New Balance sees an opportunity for growth in the outdoor sports sector.
Though it's been better known for road running sneakers and apparel, the brand has been building its inventory of trail running shoes in recent years with models such as the DynaSoft Nitrel V5 which we rated as a bouncy ride for trail and road at a friendly price.
