With a pair of SCARPA’s Trail Running shoes, you can run on uneven terrain and along trails with significant height variations, even in less-than-ideal weather.
The Valley Ultra is a perfect testing ground which is why SCARPA is the Footwear Partner this year. We decided to gather a team of runners, kit them out and have them put SCARPA shoes to the test.
Meeting the team has been heaps of fun. Follow SCARPANZ socials to see them in training.
Helen is a former NZ Mountain Running rep, mum to 3 awesome kids, and cancer survivor. December is the 5th anniversary of the end of her treatment and she is grateful for simply being able to run and be competitive.
I’ve done numerous Coast to Coasts, Routeburn Classics and many more South Island based trail events. I ran the Piglet exactly 1 year after treatment and fell in love with competing again.
Helen lives in Hokitika with her family and says it’s been great to show her family that brand ambassadors come from all walks of life, ages and stages! We agree and think Helen has exactly what we want to be a part of Team SCARPA.
Helen has chosen the Spin Infinity to race the Piglet at the Valley Ultra.
Max is young and determined and while he loves the freedom of running, he does a wide range of sports. He is also an experienced tramper, skier, mountain biker, and rock climber.
Max has just finished Year 13 and has lots of big aspirations and goals for the coming years.
We love that a young man is footing it with athletes much older than he is, and has joined Team SCARPA
Max is running the Piglet at the Valley Ultra in Ribelle Run shoes.
Clark is another Coaster and is currently at the University of Canterbury. Since doing the coast-to-coast in a school team, Clark has been hooked on trial running and adventure sports. Now it’s a break from study, a great way to connect with nature and keep him fit.
Most importantly I love it because it allows me to push myself further and achieve things I never thought I could do.
Clark’s twin brother has Klinefelter syndrome, which means he struggles with day-to-day activities, like running. Clark believes in making the most of your ability no matter what that looks like. A great fit for Team SCARPA.
Clark is also running the Piglet at the Valley Ultra. He has chosen Spin Planet shoes.
Lee Grabarek (they/them) is orginally from the US but has been in Aotearoa for about 10 years.
I’ve been running trails for years -it’s the place where I clear my head, feel grounded and centred in my body, spend time with friends, practice presence, and soak up all stunning views.
Aside from being an avid trail runner, Lee is a counsellor promoting wellbeing and mental health with teens. They also advocate for rainbow communities and super dedicated to improving the visibility and access to events, training, etc for trans and queer runners. Team SCARPA is stoked to welcome Lee
Lee is wearing the SCARPA Golden Gate 2 ATR and will run the Piglet at the Valley Ultra.
