Karhu Originals Tour Packs Airstream for Cross-Country Trip

Sept. 6, 2012 - PRLog -- Three intrepid young runners (one Finnish, two American) will be on the sabbatical of a lifetime as they climb aboard the converted Airstream for a cross-country trip with Finland’s Legendary Running Brand, Karhu.  

Is it possible to live out on the open road? They are soon to re-discover life as running nomads, like the iconic running legends of the 70s once did, stopping to run races and visit dealers along the way.

Starting in Chicago this week, these running adventurers will pilot the vintage Airstream during a three-month, 6,000-mile tour of the United States as part of the Karhu Originals Tour.  At each stop along the route running enthusiasts can revisit the glory days of running as they walk through this mobile exhibition showcasing the evolution of running footwear.

Wesley Berg (Dayton, Ohio), Jyrki Ruohomäki (Jyväskylä, Finland) and Joe Moore (Minneapolis, MN) were chosen from hundreds of applicants who responded to the  “Runners Wanted” ad campaign Karhu kicked-off earlier this spring promising “long hours, tough conditions and minimal financial rewards.”  

The Karhu Originals Tour will kick-off during the 16th Annual Chicago Half Marathon festivities starting on September 7th. These new Karhu ambassadors will also be participating in at least three other half-marathons, including Boston (Sept. 16), Atlanta (Oct. 7), and Dallas (Oct. 27) all part of the 13.1 Marathon series that Karhu sponsors.  For a full schedule and daily updates, visit http://www.karhu.com/tour.

“Our runners were chosen for their dedication, their energy and their distinct Sisu spirit, says, Karhu CEO, Huub Valkenburg. (Sisu spirit is loosely translated as determination and is in some sense synonymous with Finnish national spirit.) “The Airstream stopping off along the route also offers our running specialty stores a way to captivate their own audiences. This is a unique attraction that other brands do not offer.”

Behind the Wheel:  
Jyrki Ruohomäki is a Finnish academic. He holds a Ph.D in political science from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, where he has been teaching since 2004. Ruohomäki also worked as a Fulbright scholar at Columbia University in 2010-2011.  He has completed 19 marathons with a personal record of 2:36:45 in Philadelphia in 2011.

Wesley Berg:  Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Berg is a visual artist and musician.  In 2010, he spent two months in Finland as the Artist-in-Residence at the Nelimarkka-museo in Alajärvi.  Berg primarily runs 50k's and 50-milers. Wesley will be showcasing his unique bear artwork along the route.

Joe Moore:  A college runner at Kansas State University, Moore graduated in 2007 and has only gotten better since.  He achieved his marathon personal record of 2:20:31 at the USA Olympic Trials in January 2012, coming in 56th.  He took first place at the Fargo and Lincoln half-marathons in spring 2012 and is the USA 10K trail champion.

MOVE FORWARD WITH KARHU:
Karhu, Finnish for bear, is Finland's legendary running brand. Founded in 1916, the company’s shoes set the standard for efficiency. The hallmark of Finnish design philosophy, efficiency is an integral component of performance. Karhu shoes and apparel are sold globally by running and outdoor specialty retailers. The company is owned by Karhu Holding, B.V. For more information, visit www.karhu.com.