On the heels of our latest and perhaps most exciting new R&D initiative yet, Method Seven is partnering with the iconic data pioneers from PWR Lab to host a free community trail running event now until December 13th, 2021.
Runners, your mission should you choose to accept, will be to compete in a series of seven progressively longer distance challenges from 5k up to 30k in this virtual trail running competition we’re hosting to help us design the perfect lens technology to protect runners and athletes who train under the sun.
How Does the M7 Virtual Trail Series Work? The Rules of the Race
Registrants will compete on their own time to complete as many challenges as possible by December 13th. After each race, participants will upload their results to the official contest leaderboard. Every week, you’ll unlock a new distance to trek and can track all of your miles along the way by simply linking a device for automatic results or by uploading them manually.
Runners who decide to sync the data from their runs for this event will also have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in a special scientific study for future Method Seven product development. The goal: Method Seven will analyze vital metrics from your runs to study what factors impact runners most, and use that information to innovate our product engineering and research as we continue to design M7 Ultra Trail HD—our upcoming collection of scientifically-developed eyewear built to the standard of professional runners.
Each training mile logged before December 13th will trigger donations from our sponsors that will go towards the building and maintenance of new trails. We've also partnered with pro-runner Avery Collins to raise money for the non-profit, all-volunteer trail group Silverton Singletrack Society. And, Method Seven will donate 10¢per mile for the first 500,000 miles run in the challenge, along with 100% of proceeds from all official M7 Trail Series hat sales during registration. Plus, we're raffling off exclusive prizes, and all participants will receive 20% off of Method Seven eyewear.
Registration is free. Sign up at UltraTrail to join now, here.
About Our First-of-its-Kind Partnership with PWR Lab
“We’re spearheading a new partnership model,” says James Cox, CEO of Method Seven. “PWR Lab has the wearable data standard and can layer UV index maps on top of any run. Through this event, a community of runners will contribute to the innovation process in a way that’s never been done before.”
A ground-breaking collaboration forged to elevate the process of research and design, this ongoing partnership between Method Seven and PWR Lab seeks to redefine the way we understand the consequences of prolonged UV exposure, and how we interact with light.
As purveyors of cutting-edge data science used to optimize peak running performance, PWR Lab has not only the means but also the expertise to interpret, measure, and analyze the external conditions affecting runners. PWR Lab collects running data in real-time by tracking a runner’s individual metrics across the duration of their run, including latitude, longitude, elevation, time, mileage, UV exposure, weather, and more—all critical data we will leverage to assess the atmospheric experience of runners in order to better understand the range of risks and effects of UV light.
“We’re going to layer the data like a cake, starting with GPS watch data from participating runners. We will then spread UV / weather data on top to give M7 an opportunity to design a new lens using technology optimized for trail running.” said Adam Stepanovic, CEO of PWR Lab.
Designing for the Future: What Can Method Seven’s High-Performance Lens Technology Do for Trail Runners?
At Method Seven, we create eyewear for people in some of the world’s most extreme lighting conditions, from horticulturists and cannabis growers with prolonged exposure to harsh indoor grow lights to pilots traveling at Mach speeds under the intense UV rays of the sun.
Our latest investment in the long-distance trail running space has been years in the making and marks a crucial moment in our evolution as the world’s first scientifically-developed performance eyewear brand. Like pilots and growers, trail runners spend significant amounts of time interacting with the elements, including prolonged UV exposure. To perform optimally, runners require the highest-quality optics to accurately see every potential obstacle along the way and protect their eyes on the trail, and beyond.
As a collective of eyewear designers, scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers on a mission to unlock the potential of human vision, we believe that understanding the space between your eyes and your environment begins with mastering the spectrum of visible light.
Explore this fact sheet for more details about our partnership with PWR Lab and our work developing M7 Ultra Trail HD.
