The NorthFace 100

Inspirational Ultra-marathon man Dean Karnazes confirmed to run!

Athlete and best-selling author Dean Karnazes was recently ranked by a TIME magazine poll as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World". He's expanded the limits of human endurance and will be running The North Face 100 in 2009.

Winner of the prestigious Atacama Crossing, running 250km across the Atacama Desert in Chile, the driest place on earth in 2008, eleven-time Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run Silver Buckle holder, 1995-2006 and having run 50 Marathons, in 50 US States, in 50 Consecutive Days in 2006 are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his career triumphs.

Men's Fitness says he "might just be the fittest man on the planet." A passionate advocate for healthy, active living his message has been so well received, not because he runs hundreds of miles, but because he inspires others to be the best they can be.

Will you be running alongside Karno this May?

With a cut-off time of 30 hours this event is not for the faint hearted. Runner's will line up, putting themselves to the test to see if they've got what it takes to complete this strenuous yet beautiful course. Commencing by day with runners battling it out through the night, participants completing it in under 20 hours will earn a place in the respected The North Face 100 club. The question is: are you tough enough?

How many will train towards a sub-20 hours bronze belt buckle or push for a sub-14 hours silver belt buckle? How many will enter with dreams of beating first event winner and self-confessed "obsessive-compulsive runner" Andrew Kromar and his blistering 10 hours and 22 minutes?

For those of us mortals not super-human by nature and not up to the full 100km, The North Face 50 allows runners to halve the distance and relay with another team member who completes the second half of the course. At just over a marathon's distance, this becomes an achievable goal for runners itching to go off-road and discover the thrill of trail running.

So for that epic adventure putting you a cut above the rest, dare yourself with The North Face 100 or 50, and achieve pure legend status!

The North Face 100 is a proud partner of Leave No Trace Australia (lnt.org.au), a national, non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation and travel through education, research and partnerships. Leave No Trace builds awareness, appreciation and respect for our natural and cultural heritage. Competitors and spectators are encouraged to follow the ‘Leave No Trace' principles

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