Time to Roll out the Red Carpet in Marin, It's North Face Time!

Ah, North Face. The North Face Endurance Challenge Championships are again being held in Marin this weekend.  Always a highlight in the trail running year, it's uncommon for so many of the top athletes to converge on one race like they do at North Face.
                                

The Red Carpet is to the Academy Awards as North Face is to trail running. Everyone's there.  Well, not everyone. Just the best of the best, everyone who's anyone in trail running, a few amazing race directors (Sam! I think he said this is year 6 of his doing the 50k), and a bunch of mere mortals who come out to run the same courses these "greats" are covering, and then a bunch of paparazzi's who show up just to get a glimpse of the amazing athletes...perhaps using their kids running of the kids race as an excuse to show up and take it all in. We had grand plans of running the 26.2, but the week we had budgeted to register...it sold out. 3 days before payday.  It's for the best as now I am rather relieved!!



Above is the 50 miler elevation chart - 10,059 ft of elevation gain. (thinking of Brian's post...I wonder what the total toenail loss count is for this race when all is said and done??)

I mentioned the courses - a 50 miler, 50k, 26.2, 26.2 relay, 13.1, 10k, 5k, and kids race take place over Saturday and Sunday. All these courses have insane amounts of elevation. This year is a bit unique as we have a storm that's getting a lot of hype coming in tomorrow, lasting through Saturday. These athletes come from all over the world and have seen a lot of different terrain....but a cold, wet, windy, pouring rain, muddy Marin Headlands has the potential to be not just difficult, but more like running on another planet....one unlike what most have experienced before. These trails are difficult under beautiful clear skies...the hills, stairs, (they go up Dipsea Trail's stairs this year) switchbacks, roots, downed trees, creeks....North Face visits Marin for its championship race because of it's infamous trails that are known for their difficulty and elevation change.  This year it has the potential to be epic!

We will be there Saturday afternoon, watching the finishers, and the kids will be running the kids race. (It's less than a mile but they get the same medal as the 50miler finishers...can't pass that up!)
Whatever you are running this weekend, think of the beating these guys are going to be taking and find your inner beast mode!