Read Dean's Blog with Daily Marathon Posts
Dean is providing a day by day account of his marathon progress through all fifty states on the Web site: www.endurance50.com
He began on Sunday, September 17 in St. Louis, MO. He will be running the Marine Corps Marathon on October 29. Let's Run.

His Schedule Includes the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon
The North Face, a supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, announced the North Face Endurance 50 on Tuesday, August 15 via teleconference, in which best-selling ultra-marathoner, Dean Karnazes, will attempt to run 50 certified marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days.

The North Face Endurance 50 adventure will begin on Sunday, September 17, at The Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Charles, MO, and finish on Sunday, November 5, at the ING New York City Marathon. Dean will be raising funds for KARNO KIDS, a non- profit organization he founded to support, encourage and motivate youth to get outside and become more physically active.

Eight of the marathons on Dean's schedule are "live" events and 42 marathons will take place on the certified marathon course with a rolling road closure, vehicle escort, and aid-station support. Dean has booked a spot in the Marine Corps Marathon in Arlington, VA on Sunday, October 29. A stop in Maryland on Wednesday, November 1, will follow the course of the UnderArmour Baltimore Marathon.

For "live" events, there will be an area near the finish line to meet Dean Karnazes. His sponsors Timex, Nature's Path Organic Food, Sole Footbeds, Carmichael Training Systems, Boa Lacing Systems and Cytomax will provide samples of their products being used to support Dean.

Dean Karnazes will be running in The North Face Arnuva 50 Boa, a new ultramarathoning shoe with toe-cap air channels, a breathable tongue matrix construction, rear foot compression cage, rubber traction Tenacious GripTM, and a unique lacing system. Feet tend to swell during very long runs, so a shoe should be designed to hold the back of the foot securely while being elastic with perforations in the forefoot area to minimize blistering. The North Face has nine endurance athletes on their team; they have been working with Dean for ten years.

Dean Karnazes' book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, was published in March 2005; a paperback edition is available from Penguin. His list of accomplishments include first place in the 2004 Badwater Ultramarathon with a time of 27 hours, 22 minutes, 48 seconds; the July event starts in Badwater, Death Valley, finishes at Mt. Whitney Portals at 8360 feet (2533 meters), and includes three mountain ranges. Dean will make an effort to sign books as requested after each marathon. He says that folks have been very supportive of his ambitious race plan, and he enjoys interacting with local communities.

Dean and his wife have two children, ages eight and ten, and the 50 marathons in 50 states journey will be a family trip with home schooling. Some schools have contacted him and will be following his progress online as a class learning experience. Dad's family vacation idea snowballed into something bigger, urged on by sponsor North Face. Dean's mission is to promote healthy living and "inspire others to be their best."

He wants to test his limits of endurance and recovery, and invites others to achieve a personal foot feat, whether it is running 26.2 miles or walking one mile. Registered runners can join him during the event. He plans to run 3:30 - 4:00 in "live" marathons like the Marine Corps Marathon, and closer to 4:00 in the other 42 events to provide a more inclusive pace to participants. There is online registration available on the event Web site www.endurance50.com

Sports build confidence and running is an activity that is accessible to many. In the war on terror, it is important to counter violent events that frighten or intimidate. We all need to stay active and engaged in life; long distance athletes influence us with their ability to run further or faster than what would seem possible. A media master like Dean Karnazes projects an entertaining and astonishing image of an athlete overcoming geographical boundaries.

A typical training day for Dean is awakening between 3:30 - 4:00 am for a 20-25 mile run, returning in time for breakfast with his family; sometimes he adds 10 miles or so in the afternoon. The Karnazes live in the San Francisco area and the beauty of the scenery is engaging, a great incentive for him to run high mileage. He has been preparing since March with weekly mileage of up to 170 miles, ten marathon races, and two ultramarathons.

Jason Koop of Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) has been working with Dean, offering advice on a diet designed to supply 4000-4500 calories for each marathon day. CTS was an integral part of Lance Armstrong's Tour de France team, so they have proven experience in refueling athletes for endurance events. Koop has added 500-700 calories to Dean's diet, with plenty of organic food, fruits and vegetables to supply carbohydrates.

About The North Face(R)
The North Face, a subsidiary of VF Corporation, was founded in 1966. The company has been dedicated to exploration and testing personal limits of endurance. Headquartered in San Leandro, CA, the company offers technically advanced products to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes and explorers. Its products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains. Additional information about The North Face(R) can be found on the company's Web site: www.thenorthface.com.