SOLE Signs On As Title Sponsor of Baja Travesia Adventure Race

SOLE, makers of performance custom footbeds, socks and sandals, has inked a deal to be the title sponsor of the third annual Baja Travesia Adventure Race. SOLE Baja Travesia, which takes place March 24-29, 2008, is a non-stop, endurance team race across the Baja California peninsula in Mexico.

“The world’s top adventure racing teams, which often race on their feet for hundreds of miles in a single competition, have long had a strong affinity for our products,” notes SOLE president, Mike Baker. “The Travesia organizers, Paul Romero and Karen Lundgren, have been SOLE athletes for years and our sponsorship of this race is a great way to support them and the sport of adventure racing as a whole.”

SOLE Baja Travesia, as its name implies, is a 400-kilometer three person co-ed team race traversing the Baja Peninsula. The race includes a paddle board section in the Sea of Cortez, trekking through Mexico’s San Pedro Martir mountain range, canyoneering through some of the world’s least explored gorges, mountain biking through spectacular alpine deserts and a final kayak leg in the Pacific Ocean. A highlight of the race is the desert auto rally, in which teams cross the barren landscape of the Baja Desert while navigating Baja race cars.

In a first-ever for the sport of adventure racing, SOLE Baja Travesia will include an all women’s team division with a competitive prize purse. The race is also a qualifier for the Adventure Racing World Championships in Brazil in October 2008.

“SOLE has really stepped up to the plate for Baja Travesia,” states race director Paul Romero. “A couple of SOLE employees raced in Travesia last year and they had a blast. As we work to make this a marquee race in North America, one that showcases the drama of the sport and the beauty of the Baja landscape, we are eternally grateful for the support of the good folks at SOLE.”

Race directors Paul Romero and Karen Lundgren, the co-captains of Team SOLE, are accomplished adventure racers themselves with top finishes in all of the sport’s major races. They are also the parents of Jordan Romero, an eleven-year-old SOLE athlete who has climbed four of the world’s seven summits as he endeavors to become the youngest person to climb the highest peak on each of the world’s continents.

For more information about SOLE Baja Travesia, check www.bajatravesia.com.