Stratham, N.H. (May 16, 2001) - The Timberland Company announced today a strategic partnership with GORP.com on behalf of its Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand of gear for outdoor athletes. The alliance takes effect immediately, coinciding with the new re-design of the timberland.com and mountainathletics.com web sites.

The partnership designates the Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand as the "official footwear and apparel partner" of GORP.com, and designates GORP.com as the "exclusive travel partner" of the Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand.

Through this alliance, GORP.com, the leading web site for outdoor recreation and adventure travel, will provide extensive content for mountainathletics.com. In new, co-branded sections entitled "Trail Locator" and "Travel Locator," consumers will be able to utilize GORP.com's sophisticated search engines directly from mountainathletics.com to research and plan their next outdoor adventure. Trail Locator allows consumers to research more than 7,000 trails across all 50 states and Puerto Rico; Travel Locator enables them to research and book their choice of nearly 4,000 adventure trips to more than 120 countries. This builds upon the Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand strategy to further engage the growing community of outdoor athletes on both grassroots and national levels.

In addition, the Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand will be visible to millions of outdoor enthusiasts through banner ads and promotions on GORP.com, which averages 30 million page views monthly.

"Partnering with GORP.com is a truly exciting endeavor for us," said Eric Nyman, brand manager of the Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand. "This gives us the opportunity to bring real value to consumers visiting mountainathletics.com in a way that is meaningful and relevant to their passion for outdoor sports. We're excited about all the new possibilities this creates as we continue building the brand."

In return, GORP.com will receive extensive exposure on mountainathletics.com, as well as advertising space in Mountain Athletics^TM magazine, a new quarterly magazine by outdoor athletes, for outdoor athletes, that is distributed to outdoor enthusiasts nationwide. GORP.com also will be invited to participate in grassroots events hosted by Timberland, such as trail runs, mountain bike races, nordic skiing events and trail preservation projects.

"The Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand inspires and equips outdoor athletes to 'Go There' while GORP.com provides the resources and information to get there," said Bill Greer, founder and CEO of GORP.com. "We are thrilled to partner with Timberland to bring these resources together to inspire more people to explore their own spirit of adventure."

"Go There" Promotion

This November, GORP.com and Timberland will kick-off a special "Go There" promotion for the Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand. Five grand prize winners will win a GORP.com outdoor athletic adventure for two - including white water rafting, mountain biking, hiking and more (includes airfare, accommodations and fees). Additional prizes of Mountain Athletics^TM footwear, apparel and gear will also be awarded. Consumers will be able to enter online at mountainathletics.com, as well as at select retailers across the country and Timberland. specialty and outlet stores.

About Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland

Since its launch in fall 1999, Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland has grown into an industry leader in the outdoor athletic category, with technical footwear, apparel and gear for outdoor pursuits. Product categories include trail running, multi-sport, winter backcountry and water sports. The footwear is lightweight and flexible, while also incorporating the support and stability needed for optimal performance on varied outdoor terrain. The apparel collection provides athletes with advanced technical fabrics and features to help sustain an aggressive pace and meet the physical challenges faced while enduring the elements.

Timberland also has strategic partnerships with AATRA (All-American Trail Running Association) and USA Cycling/NORBA (National Off Road Biking Association) for the Mountain Athletics^TM by Timberland brand, further establishing the brand's leadership position in the outdoor community.

Timberland (NYSE: TBL) is a global leader in the design, engineering and marketing of premium-quality footwear, apparel and accessories for consumers who value the outdoors and their time in it. Timberland. products offer quality workmanship and detailing and are built to withstand the elements of nature. The Company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores as well as Timberland. retail stores throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. More information about Timberland is available at the Company's web site, www.timberland.com.

GORP.com is the largest and most trafficked Web site dedicated to outdoor recreation and adventure travel. With nearly 250,000 pages of content, GORP offers a complete package of authoritative, award-winning content; a large, active community of outdoor enthusiasts; and a full-range of e-commerce offerings drawing nearly 30 million page views per month. Started in 1995, GORP offers a full-service active travel-booking feature with thousands of trips, accessible via the Web or telephone. GORP has been cited by Yahoo!, US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and many others, as the leader in this category and a "Best of the Web" site. AOL Keyword: GORP

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