Alex Masai Joins HOKA Northern Arizona Elite
The NCAA All American from Hofstra University has run 27:45.19 for 10,000 meters
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – HOKA NAZ Elite announced today that it has added Alex Masai to its roster. Masai, a native of Kenya, was sixth in the 10,000 meters and tenth in the 5,000 meters at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Masai comes from a family of professional distance runners including his brother Moses who was fourth at the 2008 Olympic Games in the 10,000 meters and his sister Linet who was the 10,000 meter gold medalist at the 2009 World Championships.
NAZ Elite, who last year announced a new, multi-year agreement with its title sponsor, HOKA ONE ONE®, a division of Deckers Brands (NYSE: DECK), adds Masai to a group that includes a number of other recent college graduates including Matt Baxter and Tyler Day from Northern Arizona University, Rory Linkletter from BYU, and Alice Wright of New Mexico.
Masai said running professionally is a dream come true and that he chose HOKA NAZ Elite for a number of reasons including the team environment and the high altitude training in Flagstaff, Arizona where the team is based.
“Since I was young, I used to admire my brother Moses as I watched him travel around the world…I wanted to be just like him,” Masai said. “Now I have the opportunity, the facilities, the support, and the right personnel around me and am happy to train and race harder than ever.”
HOKA NAZ Elite coach Ben Rosario said that he believes the team signed one of the best athletes out of this year’s NCAA recruiting class when they agreed to a deal with Masai.
“Myself and Jenna [Wrieden], our assistant coach, worked hard this spring to identify the best talent coming out of the NCAA,” Rosario said. “Watching Alex run, and then talking to him, we knew that not only did he have arguably the highest ceiling of any male distance runner graduating this spring, but he was also going to be a great fit for our team and our culture, and a great ambassador for HOKA.”
Mike McManus, Director of Global Sports Marketing at HOKA, said the brand is thrilled that Masai has chosen to begin his professional career with HOKA NAZ Elite.
“Alex’s accolades, ambition and personality will be a huge asset to the team’s success moving forward,” McManus said.
Masai is currently visiting family in Kenya and living with his sister Maggie, a 2:22:16 marathoner, and her husband Jake Roberston—the New Zealand national record holder at 10,000 meters. He will return to the United States this fall to begin training full time with HOKA NAZ Elite.
About HOKA ONE ONE®
HOKA ONE ONE® is one of the fastest-growing performance footwear and apparel brands in history. Conceived in the mountains, HOKA footwear delivers an unprecedented combination of enhanced cushioning and support for a uniquely smooth ride. Every day, HOKA pushes the innovation and design of its footwear and apparel by teaming up with a deep roster of world champions, taste makers and everyday athletes. From finish lines to everyday life, HOKA fans love the brand for its bold and unexpected approach, and its belief in the power of humanity to create change for a better world. HOKA empowers a world of athletes to fly over the Earth. For more information, visit hokaoneone.com or follow @hokaoneone. #TimeToFly
About Deckers Brands
Deckers Brands is a global leader in designing, marketing and distributing innovative footwear, apparel and accessories developed for both everyday casual lifestyle use and high performance activities. The Company’s portfolio of brands includes UGG®, KOOLABURRA®, HOKA ONE ONE®, Teva®, and Sanuk®. Deckers Brands products are sold in more than 50 countries and territories through select department and specialty stores, Company-owned and operated retail stores, and select online stores, including Company-owned websites. Deckers Brands has over 40 years of history of building niche footwear brands into lifestyle market leaders attracting millions of loyal consumers globally. For more information, please visit www.deckers.com.
###