Kiwi duo spearhead crack team of athletes racing the world's most iconic ultra-marathon

This week we are delighted to announce that a crack team of CurraNZ ultra-runners will be turning up the heat at the world’s oldest 100-mile trail in the US on June 24-25. 

Held in California, the ‘Western States Endurance 100' ultra-marathon has come to represent one of the ultimate tests of human endurance, taking in 100 punishing miles across the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

As if contending with soaring summer temperatures isn’t enough, runners tackle 18,000 feet of ascent and 23,000 feet of descent on rugged mountain trails before reaching the finish.

This week, we’re proud to take the wraps off our incredible new ambassadors who will be flying the flag for us at this iconic event, after fellow CurraNZ athlete, Ruth Croft (pictured above), wrote her name in the history books when winning last year’s renewal.

Meet our sensational new ambassadors vying for honours:

 Dan Jones (NZ)

Instagram: @daniel.c.jones

A standing dish on the New Zealand ultra scene, Dan is a running machine with five Kepler titles, the Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown marathons and the Tarawera 100km crown (amongst many others) to his name.

Dan earned his much longed-for ‘Golden Ticket’ to Western States earlier this year when winning NZ’s premier ultra-marathon at Tarawera, finishing ahead of Hayden, also his training partner in the US.

Dan says: “There's a reason why a bunch of top athletes that I look up to are taking CurraNZ… I'm stoked to say that these natural purple pills are now a part of my recovery and performance protocol and I'm still testing my edge.

"I've been pushing things to the limit lately with 230km weeks in my build up to Western States 100 miler and I look forward to seeing just how far these things will take me."

Nancy Jiang (NZ)

Part of the CurraNZ purple race team at Tarawera, Nancy beat a hot field of internationals to win the 100km women’s race in February and in doing so, booked her Golden Ticket to Western States.

A full-time structural engineer, Nancy is a multiple champion of New Zealand’s iconic Kepler Challenge and was 22^nd at the CCC in France 2022.

Nancy says: “My coach Jonathan Wyatt had been telling me to try CurraNZ as another very successful athlete of his was using them and getting great results.

“So I started taking Curranz in my training block for Tarawera. I noticed I was recovering better and feeling stronger. And it’s safe to say that after that win, the proof is in the pudding.” 

Hayden Hawks (USA)

Instagram: @hawks_hayden

Professional runner Hayden is seeking revenge in 2023 after looking set to finished second last year before his race fell apart at mile 92 due to hydration issues.

Hayden famously won the first ultra race he entered – the Speed Goat 50km in 2016 – and he hasn’t looked back since turning his attentions to this sport.

A UTMB course record holder, Hayden comes into the race full of confidence and fresh from success in the Canyons 50km ultra in April.

He says: “I have now been taking CurraNZ for a couple months through some of the hardest training weeks I have done as I train for Western States 100. I have never felt better, can handle the training load a lot easier, and am seeing improvements in my recovery and performance.’

Stefanie Flippin (USA)

Instagram: @stefanieannflippin

Dr Stefanie Flippin became the sixth fastest woman of all time when the first female home and third overall in the 100-mile USATF National Championships in 2021, notably beating Camille Heron.

A full-time foot-and-ankle surgeon, Stephanie is a professional runner for HOKA and had designs on winning Western States however withdrew 2 weeks before the race and is crewing & coaching instead.

She says: “ I started using CurraNZ over the winter while I was healing a bone stress injury, with the hope of supporting peripheral blood flow. I continued to use it as I eased back into a regular training regimen and have been extremely pleased with its effects on recovery and performance. The research that is emerging on polyphenol anthocyanins, a strong antioxidant within black currants, and its benefits for endurance athletes is very promising and a driving factor in my usage of CurraNZ. I am excited to grow with this brand and continue supporting my athletic career with science."