SportsShoes | Pro Alpine Trail Team

Patt, patt, patt, patt - the rhythm of off-road running is everywhere right now. Trail is hype. Which is exactly why it felt like the right moment to do something different. To move away from single-focus brand support, predictable race calendars, and the idea that results alone define success. Instead: an all-women team built around mentorship, emotional sustainability, shared experience, and enjoying the grind.

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Follow the team >

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The SportsShoes Pro Alpine Trail Team (P.A.T.T) is a new all-women’s trail and mountain running team - a team that does things differently.

The aim? To create a focused, supportive environment where athletes can race with confidence and continue developing over time. To work collectively, sharing experience openly and encouraging questions rather than guesswork.

The team brings together seven athletes from across major European countries. Different ages, different distances, different histories. One shared belief: trail and mountain running is cool, ultras are not the only measure of commitment, and women thrive when they’re part of a team.

Supported by SportsShoes, P.A.T.T. exists to give athletes space to progress, whatever stage they’re at, with a shared vision to redefine what competitive trail running looks like. Notably, the roster includes athletes at different stages of their careers, with experienced runners playing a central role in guiding and supporting younger teammates.

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“Our goal isn’t just performing for one season, but finding ways to develop resilience for the long game,” says former European Mountain Running Champion Emmie Collinge, the team’s founder. “Mentorship and shared experience are still largely missing in women’s endurance sports. My dream is to create a space with buoyancy, where athletes can lean into their teammates and never be afraid to ask questions. Now I’m 37, I feel this is something I missed out on.

It sounds a bit cringe to say we count smiles, not kilometres, but when it’s time to race, we race hard.”

Emmie Collinge, Founder & Team Manager

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The team also exists to challenge the prevailing narrative that trail running is synonymous with ultra-distances. Instead, the athletes will actively promote shorter trail formats - including sub-hour and technical races - as legitimate and exciting expressions of the sport.

Across the 2026 season, athletes from the team are expected to compete at some of the most prestigious events on the international trail calendar, including Transgrancanaria, UTMB World Series-rated races across Europe, the Merrell Skyrunner World Series, and the Salomon Golden Trail Series - highlighting the competitive calibre of the roster.

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“Women’s trail running deserves greater recognition, greater opportunity and greater investment - and we’re committed to helping drive that change. The launch of our all-women’s elite trail running team is a meaningful step forward. This is a group of talented, ambitious athletes from the UK and Europe, ready to make their mark on the European trail racing scene.

“As a retailer working closely with the world’s leading running brands, we’re uniquely positioned to use our knowledge, expertise and influence to give something back - not just to the athletes, but to the sport as a whole. It’s time to put women’s trail running on the pedestal it deserves.”

Ben Mounsey, Marketing Lead for Trail and Outdoor at SportsShoes.

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Through SportsShoes, the team is supported by some of the biggest names in trail running, including ASICS, HOKA, Salomon, The North Face, Merrell, Silva, SunGod, Suunto and Maurten. Each partner brand provides additional opportunities for the athletes to compete at some of the world’s most prestigious trail races, equipped with best-in-class footwear, apparel and technology.

With a strong identity, a commitment to lifting women up across generations, and a belief in sustainable high performance, the team aims to serve as both a competitive force and a visible model for a more inclusive future in trail running.

The team will begin racing the 2026 season across European trail and mountain events.

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Meet the Team

Founder

Emmie Collinge

UK

Former European Mountain Running Champion, Emmie leads P.A.T.T. with a long-game view shaped by success and setbacks. Injuries and doubt changed how she sees performance - less about chasing medals, more about building something sustainable. 

Elisa Sortini

Italy

It’s easy to lose count of how many national vests this 41-year-old mum from Italy has had in mountain running, and yet she’s still hungry to improve. Elisa brings calm authority to the team - as well as badass descending skills and the ability to run both fast and long.

Amelie Lane

UK

At 19, Amelie is a first-year biology student at the University of Edinburgh and already a regular on the international stage. She has earned five GB U20 mountain running vests and placed fourth at the U20 World Mountain Running Championships, alongside winning the Young Race at the Marathon du Mont Blanc. She brings momentum and a clear appetite to keep learning.

Madlen Kappeler

Germany

At 19, Amelie is a first-year biology student at the University of Edinburgh and already a regular on the international stage. She has earned five GB U20 mountain running vests and placed fourth at the U20 World Mountain Running Championships, alongside winning the Young Race at the Marathon du Mont Blanc. She brings momentum and a clear appetite to keep learning.

Vanessa Caba

Spain

Based in Andalusia, Vanessa has raced at a high level for several years. Alongside remote work as a cyber psychology researcher and current studies in sports psychology, she brings a thoughtful, measured approach to her running – as well as clear ambition.

Lucie Meyer

France

A French-based sports nutritionist working with professional athletes across cycling, trail running and triathlon, she has quickly found her stride in the mountains. Drawn to marathon-distance races with long climbs, she placed 6th at the Verbier Marathon and 10th at the Nice UTMB 50K in 2024, followed by 12th at MCC in 2025. Still early in her trail career, she brings clear ambition, mountain joy and a hunger to progress.

Natalina Neuenschwander

Switzerland

A Swiss runner who transitioned from road cycling to trail running just over three years ago, and has already made her mark with stage wins across the Transalpine Race and victory over 50km at Slovenia by UTMB. Away from racing, she works as a self-employed medicinal masseuse, balancing hard training with a passion for helping others stay healthy and moving well.

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Are you feeling inspired? Then join our SportsShoes Strava Run Club and become part of our inclusive community.
And for more inspirational tips to become stronger, better and happier, then check out our Motivation category. Because it’s no fun standing still.