October 2010 - Ultrarunning World

Ultrarunning News
The 2011 Trans-Am: Los Angeles to New York Footrace
French multiday legend Serge
Girard is planning on adding to
ultrarunning mythology with a new
edition of the Trans-Am: The Los
Angeles to New York Footrace.
Scheduled for 19 th of June 2011 this
massive adventure will cover 3,220
miles over 70 days starting in Santa
Monica in California and finishing
in New York August the 25 th .
Stretching back to 1928 when Andy
Payne won the first Trans-Am, long
distance has inspired runners to
challenge themselves and each other.
Serge Girard is a model of this
philosophy running across five
continents: North America, Australia,
South America, Africa, Europe and
Asia between 1997 and 2006.
The crossing of Europe began in
Paris and finished in Tokyo covering
19,000 km in 260 days - a huge
undertaking from any perspective.
The last Trans-America race took
place in 2004 organised by Alan and
Mary Firth and though there have
been many solo crossings since then,
there has been no organised race.
The cost of this race is $6,500 and
you also have to organise your own
accommodation. Set up to allow
solo runners as well as runners
with crew, this race is a challenge
for any runner to contemplate.
On The Road
Currently Serge is undertaking an
extraordinary personal and sports
challenge to run 600 marathons, 25,000
km without a single day of rest, 70
km per day, link the countries of the
European Union and set a world record
for the longest distance run in one year.
At the time of writing he has
completed 542 marathons and has
been running for 312 days.
Itinerary :
The project will start and finish in Paris,
covering almost all the capital cities
of the European Union countries:
London, Madrid, Prague, Berlin,
Athens, Helsinki, Rome, Stockholm.
More than 5000 km and almost 3
months will be spent covering France.
Timing :
Departure on October 17, 2009
and finish 12 months later.
AROUND THE EUROPEAN UNION
to set a world record for the longest
distance run in one year, with as many
children and runners as possible running
during the race to connect 25 members
countries of the European Union.
Ultrarunning World| October 2010 5