GORE Runners Storming the Podium
By Gordon Wright

Lost in the dominating performance by the Skaggs brothers of Team Montrail/Nathan is the story of their dogged pursuers, Erin Hutchinson and Dustin Phillips. The pair comprising Team GORE-TEX Vortex have whupped the field just as resoundingly as the Skaggs, finishing ahead of every other team in each of the five stages of the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run. It’s just that with the Skaggs family putting up double-digit-minute leads each day, second place is an illustrious, but overlooked, island of excellence.

What makes the story more compelling is that both Hutchinson and Phillips are full-time Gore employees. Hutchinson recently celebrated his 10th year (and thereby snagging an extra week’s vacation) as an associate at the privately-held company, where he serves as a business unit leader in peripheral vascular products. Hutchinson, 38, has two children and lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Gore has a robust presence in medical technology development. His running pedigree is evidenced by a 4th place finish at this year’s Pike’s Peak Marathon.

Phillips is new to the company, having put in six months of service as an industrial electrician in the Flagstaff offices. With 1,400 Gore employees in the medical service field, however, it is no great surprise that the two didn’t know each other prior to the advent of the GORE-TEX TransRockies Run.

“We competed against each other in a few races, but I didn’t know Erin worked for Gore until I heard about our team entries into this race five weeks ago,” said Phillips, who for seven years competed on the NORBA circuit as a cross-country mountain bike racer. 

“In fact,” continued Phillips, “Our first run together was Stage One.”

Serendipity, thy name is GORE-TEX. 

Both runners found that their trail paces - so crucial to this unique event - were metronomic in their similarity.  “I fell apart at the end of the first day,” said Phillips, “But overall we match up really well. Erin is a better climber, I set a tempo on the flats, and we’re just really even on the descents.”

How does a guy with a Ph.D in medical engineering from M.I.T. (Hutchinson) find common professional ground with a trade school graduate who recently swung a hammer for a living (Phillips)?  Quite easily, and largely because of the corporate culture of W.L. Gore. Perennially listed as one of America’s top companies to work for, Gore employees are considered “associates.”  There are no bosses at Gore (yes, really), and the workplace is so resolutely collaborative that it is impossible to work among them without gaining daily lessons on the power of teamwork.

Hutchinson and Phillips also share a devotion to family - the 31-year-old Phillips also has two children and likes the found hours resulting from the switch from mountain biking to trail running, “Four hours is a good training ride, but two hours makes for a good training run.” 

The pair has hounded the Skaggs brothers every day, though not for long. “We knew the first day we’d be looking at second place,” said Phillips, “Actually, we knew in about 20 minutes.”

But GORE-TEX Vortex has never flagged from the chase. Erik Skaggs noted, “You can feel them back there, for sure.”

Sponsorship entries into endurance events can be tricky, but all three Gore teams have not only done well, they’ve done phenomenally well.

Team Runs With GORE-TEX, comprised of John DiMeo and Bob Steele, currently are sitting comfortably in second place in the Master’s Division, one place ahead of fellow podium-dwellers Gorons, featuring Joe Armstrong and Marc Thurston. DiMeo and Steele finished a strong 5th overall on Day Three, and are in the running for an overall podium finish.

In fact, that isn’t the end of Gore’s stable of athletes here at the TransRockies Run; Angela Lindbo has teamed with Wendy Neely of frequent Gore customer adidas. Neely, a former cross-country and middle-distance runner for Stanford, has joined with Lindbo to currently sit 9th overall in the all-women division.

Jill Robertson of Gore is paired with Juliet Morgan to form Team J&J All the Way, and is sitting just behind Neely and Lindbo at 10th in the women’s division.

The eight Gore entrants are finding the conditions to their - and their company’s - liking. “Yesterday beyond question was a Gore day,” laughed Phillips, referring to the epic snowstorm that pelted the field, “The slide show at dinner looked like a commercial for Gore products.”

The race certainly has showcased Gore’s killer products. But then, it is also showcasing one of the coolest, fittest companies you’ll ever see.