I kind of can’t believe I never got around to writing here about the Altra Run Crew! 2023 was an awesome year in running, and this was a large part of it.
I love Altra running shoes—I’ve used them for years. They have a roomy toe box that’s actually shaped like your foot, so your toes don’t get squished together. In November 2022, I applied to be a part of the Altra Run Crew Community Ambassadors…
…and I was chosen.
The Program
There were, I believe, 40 of us from across the country. We met on Zoom in January to kick off the year, and I’m still delighted to be following these running enthusiasts and awesome people on social media. I got to meet several of them throughout 2023 at various events.
Our goal was to build community and encourage more people to get out there and run!
The Highlights
Being on the Run Crew got me involved with a lot of cool events that I might not have done otherwise. I was racing a lot last year, and I was super proud to represent Altra!
These are just a few of the highlights of my Altra Run Crew year:
5ks and 10ks
A lot of them!
Run Group
We met every Wednesday morning at 6:00am. It became the highlight of my week.
Colfax Half Marathon
I attended a panel at REI a month or two before the race, and race day itself was incredible. I did the half marathon, as did several friends and OTF members. It wasn’t my best race — the air quality was so bad that day and I wasn’t feeling that well — but overall it was awesome.
BolderBoulder
My FIRST BolderBoulder and I can’t wait to do it again. Another incredible event. A few of my Altra Run Crew teammates were at the starting line with me, and I did a shake-out run the day before with the whole Altra crew — the sales team from around the country, Run Crew members, and pros Amanda Basham and Justin Grunewald. The Altra cheering station was the best cheering station, and that’s saying a lot for this race!
Global Running Day
Run Crew members Nell and Angela hosted an event to launch the Torin 7 on Global Running Day. We did an enormous group run. It happened to be on a Wednesday, so I ran that morning with my running group, too!
Shoe Launches
I got to play a role in a launch of the Rivera 3, Outroad 2, Torin 7, the BolderBoulder collab Escalante, and the AltraFWD Experience (Altra’s first low-drop shoe). I got to give away shoes!
Wear Testing
I tested prototypes of new models to see how they wear over time! I loved offering feedback on these shoes — it was fun to be part of the process.
Boulder Rez Marathon
I helped put together four relay teams to run the Bolder Rez Marathon Relay — my team WON, and we wore the Outroad 2 to do it.
Boston Marathon Qualifier
I qualified for Boston at the Leading Ladies Marathon in Spearfish, wearing the Vanish Carbon. This was the goal I set out to accomplish with the Celebration Marathon in January 2023 (but I was under three minutes too slow to qualify!). Unfortunately, even with my qualifying time in August, I didn’t make the cutoff, so I’ll back back with another faster attempt soon.
What’s Next?
My Altra Run Crew year ended in December, and they are currently examining the program and possibly revamping it. If so, I will apply again! I would love to stay involved — I recommend Altras to everybody anyway, so it’s fun to have a pulse on what’s new and connect with such a great community.
For now, I’m nurturing an IT band flare up. Very discouraging, as I had entered the Napa Valley Marathon in March and had to withdraw. I’m hoping to be back up and (literally) running again soon. Fingers crossed I can run this year’s BolderBoulder and I’m looking forward to Napa next year.
