The Runner Design Team is helping to design and test the Runner. We welcome ideas from everyone who might wear a Runner ... not only runners, but speed-walkers, hard-hikers or anyone doing strenuous, aerobic outdoor activities.

If you would can help the design effort, please let me know. Members of the Team are listed here, and can be anonymous:

• A customer who has done several marathons first suggested the Runner, and put me in touch with Paul Ronto
• Paul Ronto is a hiking expert and Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Digital Content at RunRepeat.com ... Here is Paul's bio from that website (used with THANKS to RunRepeat.com):  Paul loves adventure. Over the past 20 years, he has climbed, hiked, and ran all over the world. He’s summited peaks throughout the Americas, trekked through Africa, and tested his endurance in 24-hour trail races. He has worked in the outdoor industry as a whitewater and hunting guide, gear tester, copywriter, and outfitting specialist at places like The National Outdoor Leadership School, No Barriers USA, and Sierra Trading Post. He has been quoted in NYMag, NBCNews, and Business Insider to name a few.  Paul has been giving his WeatherWool Anorak some serious testing since November of 2019. paul@runrepeat.com
• Advisor Jesse Manuta, independently of the ideas forming between the rest of us, made for himself from WeatherWool MidWeight Fabric the first Runner. Jesse also dyed his Runner and then completed the Grand Canyon Triple Rimmer in 21 hours ... from Rim to Rim to Rim of the American Grand Canyon ... a total distance of 50 miles (81 km) and elevation change of 20,000 feet (6100 meters)
• Advisor Harald Krauss has done some serious running, including the 24-hour German Death Run and 100 kilometer (62 mile) races. Harald has done some running and hiking in his Al's Anorak, but he is looking forward to wearing the Runner for an upcoming 230 km (143 mile) endurance challenge
• Advisor JR Morrissey has been helping us with WeatherWool garment design and production since 2014. And he is a runner.
• Then there's me -- Ralph -- haha, I've never been much of a runner at all. In 1981 I did the New York City Marathon, barely finishing in 4:45. But the cool thing was that Alberto Salazar set the world record that day at 2:08:13. (The record was later invalidated tho because a re-measure showed the course was slightly short. And my 4:45 would have been a 4:46.) I have somewhere the photo showing me finish at 4:50, but I was so far back in the pack at the gun that it was 5 minutes before I reached the official starting line. Anyhow ... the real runners are stuck with me in the group!

6 July 2020