2009 TNF Ultra Trail du Mt. Blanc!

Mt. Blanc, the rooftop of Western Europe, 3 countries, 9 mountain villages, 51 nationalities, 2500 trail runners, 104miles, 30,000ft of climbing, rocks, roots, mud, stream crossings, dirt roads, paved roads, single track trails, talus fields, glaciers, and unsurpassed mountain views! The 7th Edition of The North Face Ultra Trail du Mt. Blanc starts on Friday, August 28th at 6:30pm Central European Time in the center of Chamonix, France. Runners will have 46 hours to complete this epic loop around the Mt. Blanc Mountain massif passing through France, Italy, Switzerland, and returning to Chamonix. Every runner starts with the excitement and apprehension of running into the "unknown" and exploring their physical and mental limits. Months and perhaps years of preparation, dedication, and commitment bring this global field of kindred spirits together to embark on a adventure of epic proportions. Each runner will be pushed to their physical capacity and beyond, they will be tested mentally in ways they never thought imaginable, and they will need to dig deep inside their soul to find resolve to make it to the finish line in Chamonix. I applaud every runner who have the courage to take on this challenge and start this epic adventure! Good luck to all of you!

To follow the event live go to: www.ultratrailmb.com and follow the links to the live web-cast. The web-cast site will be in French, but quite easy to navigate.

Topher is running the UTMB race - 104 mile full circle of Mt. Blanc. He is racer number 11
Kim Gaylord is running the TDS race - 66 mile race from Chamonix France to Courmayeur Italy. Start time 5:00AM - Saturday, August 29th. She is racer number 9543.
Randy Gaylord is running the TDS race -66 mile race from Chamonix France to Courmayeur Italy. Start time 5:00AM - Saturday, August 29th. He is racer number 9405.

TDS (Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie) – approx. 105km and 6700m + altitude change; starts Saturday, August 29th at 5:00am from the centre of Chamonix Mont-Blanc.

Thank you to all for your encouragement, energy, and support from around the world! It is greatly appreciated will be a great source of energy during those most challenging moments in the run!