Nathan Sports Extended Partnerships with Four of The Brand's Elite Runners

Nathan Sports extended partnerships with four of the brand's elite runners Emily Harrison, Stephanie Howe, Michael Wardian and Ian Torrence. On the heels of last week's addition of Rob Krar, the 2013 and 2014 Utra Runner of the Year, to the team, this standout group rounds out Nathan's 2015 pro ambassador roster.

“We are proud to call Emily, Stephanie, Michael, and Ian members of the Nathan family,” said Brent Hollowell, VP of marketing for Nathan. “From early morning training sessions to late night runs and all the races in between, these talented runners work closely with Nathan to help us develop the latest and greatest in visibility, hydration and performance gear. We look forward to supporting them as they race and accomplish great things in 2015.”

• Emily Harrison: A native of Flagstaff, AZ, Emily entered her first ultramarathon in 2012, competed in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials and shortly after, placed second at the prestigious JFK 50 Mile. Never missing a step, she followed her first season with a course record at Moab's Red Hot 55k, was selected for the 2013 and 2014 100k World Teams and placed seventh (female; 26th overall) in the 2013 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. She is also the 2014 50k World Champion and set the record for the second best North American road 50k time in history.
• Stephanie Howe: One of America's top professional ultra runners, Stephanie has found herself atop the podiums of some of the most recognized races in the sport. In 2015, she's already finished as the runner-up at the Way Too Cool 50k. In 2014 she came in first at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, second at Lake Sonoma, first at the Mesquite Canyon 50k and third at the North Face 50 mile Championships. She's also the 2013 champion of the notoriously rugged Speedgoat 50k and the runner-up finisher of the 2013 Ultra Race of Champions (UROC). When she's not on the trails, Stephanie's earning her PhD in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology at Oregon State University.
• Michael Wardian: A regular podium finisher at several distances, Michael has set world records for the fastest marathon and 50k on an indoor 200-meter track. In March 2015, he set the World Record for the fastest 50k on a treadmill. Michael has also competed in some of the most difficult races in the world, including the Badwater Ultra marathon, the Marathon des Sables, the Ultra Trail du Mount Blanc and the UVU North Pole Marathon. He made headlines in 2013 when he competed in two marathons in one day  winning at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio marathon and then placing 10th that same day at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Las Vegas. Additionally, Michael has participated in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Men's Marathon, at which he recorded a personal best of 2:17:49. He was the IAU Ultra Runner of the Year in 2010 and is a four-time USATF Ultra Runner of the Year from 2008-2011. He also was named the 2014 USATF Master's Athlete of the Year for both Roads and Trails. 
• Ian Torrence: Ian is a legend in the trail/ultra community having now finished 189 ultras, 25 of which were 100-mile races. In total, Ian has won 53 ultramarathons, including the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Mile Run twice and the Superior Trail 100 Mile Run. In March 2015, he won the National Championship for the 40-44 division at the 2015 USATF 50k Road Championships. He’s a two-time, top-ten finisher at the Western States Endurance Run. He’s finished the JFK 50 Mile Run twenty times, placing as high as second, twice. He was a part of the four-person team that won and set a course record at the Oxfam Hong Kong Trailwalker 100k in 2001. In 2002, he completed the “Grand Slam of Ultramarathons” by finishing Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, Vermont 100 Mile, Leadville Trail 100 Mile and the Wasatch Front 100 Mile in a single summer. Ian is the lead ultrarunning coach for McMillan Running and the Adidas Ultra Team, for which Nathan is the official hydration partner.