Gregory Goes There

While not as well known in North America as his native Japan, Hiroki Ishikawa kills it on the ultra scene. He just returned from the Everest Marathon in Nepal, where he topped the field in overseas competitors. Hiroki placed 17th out of 120 runners. Particularly mpressive when you think about all those native folk having lived at something like 12,000 or 14,000 feet all their lives. The above photo is Hiroki in front of the local scenery during the marathon.

Hiroki’s also had a big influence on one of Gregory’s soon-to-be-unveiled packs, an endurance oriented number that’s the flagship in its new Active Trail line (stay tuned for more on that). He had a lot of input into how to structure pockets and other features on the pack to assist in staying hydrated and fueled up for long hauls on the go.

He’s soon headed to the U.S. where he’ll be competing in the Western States 100 in Squaw Valley on June 28 and 29. If you want a sneak peek of what’s coming down the pipe from Gregory, check out what’s on his back during that race. It’ll be a quick view, though.