Swiss Running Brand On to Sponsor Newly Re-Branded Zap Endurance

PORTLAND, OREGON – On, the fastest growing running shoe brand in the world from Zurich, Switzerland, is thrilled to announce a new sponsorship partner with run club ZAP Endurance, formally known as ZAP Fitness, through 2021.

Founded in 2001, ZAP Endurance is a non-profit training center for post-collegiate, Olympic hopeful distance runners. ZAP athletes live and train together in Boone, a small town in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, perfect for endurance athletes looking to train at high altitude year-round. Most notably, ZAP brought five athletes to the USATF Marathon Championships in December 2018 with all five qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Trials and two of them finishing in 3rd and 4th place.

Formally sponsored by Reebok since 2005, ZAP Fitness will be rebranded to ZAP Endurance with the support of their new sponsor, On. As a brand, On has been founded around athletes, optimism and a healthy competitive spirit. Created by athletes for athletes, On is always striving to power the human spirit through athleticism, outdoor exploration and healthy-living both on and off the track.

“The team here at On is beyond thrilled to be the new sponsor of ZAP Endurance,” said On Co-Founder and former World Duathlon Champion Olivier Bernhard, “We’re so excited to have a whole team of On athletes on the starting line at the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials. With our recent sponsorship of the Mammoth Track Club as well, we’ll have two solid, young teams with enormous potential on both U.S. coasts.”

“All of us here in Blowing Rock are excited and grateful for this unique partnership between ZAP and On,” said ZAP Endurance Head Coach Pete Rea, "As we begin our 18th year supporting both our resident professional team as well as running education for all ages, we do so with the fastest growing brand in global running. On has a passion for all runners and a vision for the performance side which made this a great fit for ZAP."

Who is On?

On is a young Swiss sports company based in Zurich (Switzerland), Portland (Oregon, USA), Yokohama (Japan) and Melbourne (Australia). It has one simple mission: make running fun. A team of sports scientists, world-class athletes and designers spearhead this mantra.

On running shoes are winning design and technology distinctions all over the world – most recently the ISPO Product of the Year and Gold Award for the Best Performance Shoes 2017/18. World Champions and elite athletes win constantly in On.

On’s ingenious CloudTec sole is patented worldwide. Seven years after market launch, On is available at more than 4,000 specialist running stores and over 50 countries in Europe, North America, South America and Asia-Pacific.

How does On’s patented CloudTec® system work?

Cushioned landing, firm push-off: that’s the core concept behind the new running shoe by On, the young Swiss-based manufacturer. On’s patented technology combines all the benefits of a soft training shoe and a hard and fast racing shoe; a radical development in the sports industry. Land on the sand, push off from the running track!

The secret to this bold new dual functionality lies in the On’s “Clouds” – hollow pods on the sole of the shoe that stretch back on impact to cushion the landing and then lock to form the solid foundation required for a powerful push-off.

Athletes who have worn Ons and their coaches have reported greater muscle activation, new personal bests and shorter recovery times. These findings are also backed up by scientific research: independent studies by the reputed Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland have confirmed that the patented CloudTec® system substantially reduces athletes’ heart rates and blood lactate levels.