EUGENE, OR (February 21, 2012) — ElliptiGO, Inc., creators of the world’s first elliptical bicycle, today announced their sponsorship of Team Run Eugene (TRE), a newly-established, non-profit organization formed to help develop middle and long-distance runners for national and international competition. With the donation of two ElliptiGO bikes for the TRE runners to cross-train on, ElliptiGO Inc. hopes to contribute to the success of the next generation of elite runners.
Team Run Eugene, a 501 ©(3) non-profit organization, was formed in 2011 to support aspiring professional runners who otherwise would not have the opportunity to continue their training post-collegiately. TRE seeks to provide these runners with the resources necessary to train as a professional athlete, including coaching, pro-bono healthcare, rehab benefits, gear, living assistance and stipends for travel.
“We strive to offer our runners the best training tools out there,” said Robert Wayner, TRE Executive Officer and Director of Rehabilitation Services. “The ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle has emerged as one of the most innovative and effective cross-training tools for runners that we’ve seen and we’re very pleased to be able to offer it to our athletes.”
Designed by runners, the ElliptiGO bike is the first outdoor, low-impact, fitness device specifically engineered to emulate the running motion. It allows athletes of all levels to get a high-intensity workout without experiencing the repetitive impact of running. Healthy and injured athletes alike have found it the most effective way to get an outdoor running experience without the usual pounding on their bodies.
One of TRE’s runners, Olympic-hopeful Ian Cronin, already had an ElliptiGO bike when he joined Team Run Eugene. He had been using it to maintain his fitness while he recovered from strained ligaments in his SI joint. Unable to run at all for 10 weeks, Ian found he could still get outside and get his heart rate up for an intense workout on the ElliptiGO bike without aggravating his injuries. “We saw how Ian loved his ElliptiGO bike and thought all of our runners could benefit from its use,” remarked Wayner. “It allows them to be outdoors, limits weight-bearing stresses, and provides the closest resemblance to running mechanics as possible.”
Team Run Eugene is not alone in their adoption of the innovative ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle into their running program. Professional runners like two-time National 5K champion Lauren Fleshman, 50K American record holder Josh Cox, and elite Masters runner Pete Magill, have also incorporated the ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle into their training with great success. The ElliptiGO’s running-specific motion and low-impact design offers these athletes a comfortable and efficient way to stay in peak form.
“We’re very happy to support Team Run Eugene and help these young runners achieve their Olympic dreams,” said Bryan Pate, Co-Founder and Co-President of ElliptiGO. “The ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle is a unique training tool that has caught on fast in the running community and we hope it will give the TRE runners an advantage in their training. As word spreads, we expect to see more and more athletes from a variety of athletic disciplines use the ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle to help themselves run faster and stay injury-free.”
For more information about Team Run Eugene and the TRE Runners, visit their website
