SportsShoes Launches All-Women Pro Alpine Trail Team
SportsShoes has unveiled a new all-women’s European trail and mountain running squad for 2026: the SportsShoes Pro Alpine Trail Team (P.A.T.T).
What makes this launch interesting isn’t just another roster announcement — it’s the intent behind it. P.A.T.T is built around mentorship, longevity, and emotional sustainability in a sport that can sometimes treat athletes like disposable race entries. The team is led and mentored by former European Mountain Running Champion Emmie Collinge (UK), who says the aim is to create resilience “for the long game” — and to build the kind of shared experience many women in endurance sport have historically had to do without.
The team roster (2026)
Seven athletes from across Europe will represent P.A.T.T this season:
- Emmie Collinge (UK) — team manager / mentor
- Amelie Lane (UK)
- Elisa Sortini (Italy)
- Vanessa Caba (Spain)
- Natalina Neuenschwander (Switzerland)
- Madlen Kappeler (Germany)
- Lucie Meyer (France)
Racing plans: not just “bigger and longer”
P.A.T.T athletes are set to race across 2026 at major fixtures including Transgrancanaria, UTMB World Series-rated races across Europe, and the Golden Trail Series.
There’s also a deliberate message here: trail running doesn’t have to mean ultra-distance every time. The team plans to actively champion shorter and more technical formats — sub-hour racing included — as serious, exciting expressions of the sport. (A small mercy for anyone who loves trails but doesn’t fancy turning every weekend into a seven-hour nutrition experiment.)
Support: big brands, practical backing
SportsShoes says it will provide year-round kit, travel and mentorship support. The team is also backed through SportsShoes by major trail brands including ASICS, HOKA, Salomon, The North Face, Merrell, Silva, SunGod, and Suunto.
Why this matters
Women’s trail running is booming, but the structure around it often lags behind — especially when it comes to long-term athlete development, shared learning, and support across career stages. A team explicitly designed to connect experience with emerging talent is an old idea done the right way: apprenticeship, community, and craft — pointed firmly at the future.
SportsShoes’ marketing lead Ben Mounsey framed the launch as part of a wider push for “greater recognition, greater opportunity and greater investment” in women’s trail running — and P.A.T.T is their statement of intent for 2026.
Visit SportsShoes.com for more details
See also
Joma Reveals Its 2026 National Trail Team
